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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27246232">Wanderlust 2</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CleverPervertedPriest/pseuds/CleverPervertedPriest'>CleverPervertedPriest</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dungeons &amp; Dragons - All Media Types, Hololive, Hololive CN, Hololive En, Hololive ID, Hololive Japan, Holostars</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 23:41:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>168,327</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27246232</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CleverPervertedPriest/pseuds/CleverPervertedPriest</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A few years later, a new adventure appears. (Crosspost on ff.net)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>62</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>48</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 1</p><p>It took a few years for the many cities on the continent to recover from the sudden attack of the black dragon. The collective people were resilient and hardy folk; the cities and towns on the outside recovered quickly as to restore trade and the flow of resources. The capital took a bit longer but, being the place where the dragon fell, the people were eager to help. It was around the same time a nobleman and courtier of the king suggested forming an adventurer's guild to aid the normal folk. Their members would travel far and wide to lend assistance wherever it was needed. This would not only bring praise to the royal family but if they traveled to other lands that were allied to them, would also strengthen their ties and alliances.</p><p>The king was impressed and readily agreed to support this beneficial endeavor. Thus, Aruran Daiso established the headquarters of the adventurer's guild in Rivirapolis. He also made an effort to link up with Sireos' School of Might and Magic to provide a place of work once the students leave or graduate from it. All adventurers both of this world and outside of it were welcome, as the noble did proudly proclaim. Quite a number of people accepted. Many more traveled to the capital when word of this new guild spread.</p><hr/><p>Travel boots crunched softly on the gravel. A young girl in clothes colored orange, blue, and white looked at the rebuilt city in awe. She continued to walk down the street, her ox-horn styled hair bobbing up and down. She paused to look at the piece of paper and started to make her way down another road. After a few more minutes of walking, she caught sight of a large building that was across a bar called Robel. It was two stories high, made of brick and wood. It looked very sturdy and the open double doors were brightly painted and inviting. She crossed the road, eager to go in and sign up. Then…</p><p>"KIRA!"</p><p>...she heard two shouts coming from inside the building, startling her. A second later, a blue-haired young girl ran out with bagpipes draped across her shoulder, the sound of laughter trailing behind her. Another second, then two guys ran out after her. One had pink hair and had black, segmentation lines over his arms and head. The other had black hair and wore a hooded robe that hung back loosely as he ran. She watched dumbfoundedly as the trio ran down the street.</p><p>"Strange," said a soft-spoken voice behind her. Looking around, she saw a beautiful blue-haired elf in fine blue clothes. Floating behind her was a cute white thing in a pot. Was it a mini-bear? A mouse? She couldn't really tell.</p><p>"Hello, my name is Nene Momosuzu," she introduced herself, holding out her hand, "Are you here to join the guild too?"</p><p>"Lamy Yukihana. Pleased to meet you," she replied politely, "Yes, I am."</p><p>Nene grinned, "Oh, that's great. I hope we can be good friends. Let's go sign up!"</p><p>Lamy nodded and smiled. They immediately went inside. Several feet from the door was a counter, manned by a cute, red-haired man in a white uniform. He smiled at them as they came up to the counter and greeted, "Welcome to the guild. My name is Miyabi. How may I help you?"</p><p>"We would like to sign up, please," spoke up Nene.</p><p>"We would like to join up too," spoke up a voice as its owner stepped up to the counter. She looked human save for a set of animal ears as well as shaggy, long whitish-grey hair that framed her head like a lion's mane. Beside her was a smiling girl with fox ears on her head. The lion girl wore dark traveling clothes while the fox girl had bright, colorful traveling clothes.</p><p>"Certainly," replied Miyabi with an ever-present smile, pausing to retrieve something from under the counter, "Please prepare five gold each for registration. Then, I shall help you fill out the forms, so please, if you would take turns to tell me your particulars. Once I fill these forms, I shall help you get acquainted with the guild house." He placed several pieces of official-looking papers, an open ink bottle, and a quill.</p><hr/><p>"...And we're done," declared the guild clerk with satisfaction, "Right, so if you look to your right, there is a bulletin board." He then motioned to his left, drawing everyone's attention. "This is where we put one-time requests for help. You'll get paid depending on the request. The side room to your right is a waiting room where you can relax to do your own stuff. Upstairs, we have several rooms where you can rest for free if you wish to spend the night. If you need food and drink, Robel across the street can accommodate you. The bartender's name is Roberu and let him know you're with the guild to get a discount. We have an agreement with him so if there are any emergencies or urgent quests, I'll head over and announce it myself. Erm, we have a basement… but it's currently not used for anything and Lord Daiso forbade anyone from going downstairs. So, any questions?"</p><p>"Any quests we can go on right now?" asked the fox girl, who introduced herself as Polka Omaru during registration.</p><p>"Hmm, let me see," muttered Miyabi as he stepped around the counter to scrutinize the board. After a few seconds, he pulled a piece of paper off and handed it to her, "Here. If you go with them, I'm sure this request could be done in no time."</p><p>"Ah, thanks!" she exclaimed happily before reading it aloud, "Two hundred silver pieces minimum… help with pest culling in… the… sewer… ew." She wrinkled her nose a little at the thought.</p><p>"I suppose that's fine… " murmured the lion girl, who called herself Botan Shishiro, "After all, we should start somewhere..."</p><p>"That's the spirit," praised the guild clerk with an encouraging smile, "I'm sure you will go far if you keep your mind to it."</p><p>"Right, let's go then," cheered on Nene, "So, who do we see about this?"</p><p>After stowing their stuff and getting directions to the sewer cleaners guild, the new party headed there immediately after the half-snow elf asked her snow sprite to guard her belongings. Nene hummed a jaunty tune with Polka whistling along. They were welcomed by the vice-leader of the guild, a rather young man with fiery red hair.</p><p>"Right, nice to see new blood willing to help out," he stated as he led them downstairs to the sewers entrance. Before he opened the metal door, he warned, "Right, cover your nose."</p><p>The smell wasn't as bad as expected, though their half-animal party mates were gagging a little.</p><p>"Right, the smell shouldn't be as bad at this time of year," he informed them before they went in, "Also… try and keep a tally of what you kill down there. Maybe, for example, rat ears or some small body part if you wish to keep count that way. Try to bring at least ten at minimum. Ten silver each for any extra. Oh, and knock as loud as you can if you're done."</p><p>"That sounded a little barbaric," murmured Lamy as the door closed behind them.</p><p>"It sounded fine," rebutted Botan, "If you're that disturbed, I'll keep count then."</p><p>"Fine with me," the half-elf agreed.</p><p>The party then made their way down the sewers. True enough, the smell wasn't overwhelmingly strong, but it was disturbing enough that they frequently had a grimace on their faces. Green tinted water flowed through the middle of the tunnels and all they heard were sounds of dripping water. Eventually, they could hear faint chittering and squeals in the background. At first, they couldn't tell where the sounds were coming from but eventually, a loud enough creak drew their attention. What they saw sent shivers up their collective spines.</p><p>A sizable group of giant cockroaches was skittering around a mound of fresh waste and trash.</p><p>"Erm… we don't have to fight them, right?" whispered Polka, "They don't look like the rats we're looking for."</p><p>"But don't these count as pests too?" asked Nene.</p><p>"...Disgusting monsters," murmured Lamy in revulsion as she clutched her amulet.</p><p>"I think we should try and kill them as fast as we could," decided Botan as she nocked an arrow to her shortbow.</p><p>"Will we be able to… what was that?" started the half-snow elf when she heard some loud squeaking behind her. The party glanced around and were surprised to find rats. Giant rats.</p><p>"...This looks bad… and I think the giant cockroaches noticed us too," warned the bard as she pulled out her rapier and a dagger.</p><p>"Ha… alright, let's put them down," the lion girl sighed while the fennec girl played with a dart on one hand. Thankfully, there was only enough space for two on two fights to stand on the raised areas above the drain.</p><p>Nene threw her dagger at the giant roach that tried to attack Botan, causing it to skitter back in surprise. Meanwhile, the rats lunged at the lion and the fennec, biting their legs. The former shook hers off and used her claws to disembowel it. The latter kicked hers into the air and kicked it again into the drain, sending it into the soup of muck with a plop. They repeated those actions with the other two rats while the bard skewered the roach that attacked her. Lamy, who had blessed the others beforehand, healed the fennec monk as she looked a little shaken by the rat bites. She then ran forward and slammed her mace on one roach, breaking through its body and splattering its insides over the floor.</p><p>"Lamy, can you boost me in there?" asked Nene suddenly as Botan and Polka killed off another two roaches.</p><p>Getting a nod, the bard jumped onto the cleric's shield, who pushed her to the front and into the middle of the pack of giant cockroaches. As she landed, she shouted an arcane word and the sound of a thunderclap roared through the sewer tunnel. The roaches seemed shaken and disorientated, leaving them open to attack. The others wasted no time in attacking, taking down three more of them. The giant insects tried to repay the favor but another arcane word clapped down on them and shook them even further, one of them even falling over dead. Then, she mopped them up with Lamy's help.</p><p>"Eugh, ew, ew, ew," sounded Polka as she dug into the dead roaches to retrieve her darts.</p><p>"Hn, have to wash later," muttered Botan as she pulled out the arrow used in the fight. She turned to the bard and asked, "Can I borrow your dagger?"</p><p>"Sure," replied the bard as she handed the dagger she had thrown to the fighter, who proceeded to cut off the ears of the rats. One each. Lamy frowned but didn't say anything, as she was just following the vice-leader's instructions. The lion girl then went over to the roaches and snapped off a leg from their bodies. By the time she was done, she had four ears and ten spindly legs, which she stuffed in her belt pouch and quiver respectively.</p><p>"So…do we go back now? I mean… we got the min and some extra," asked the fennec monk.</p><p>"No. I think we can push on and find a few more," rebutted the lion fighter as she returned the dagger.</p><p>"But I won't be able to heal anything right now," informed the half-elf worriedly, "If I cast anything more right now, I'll get a headache."</p><p>"I'm not sure about this either..." added the bard hesitantly.</p><p>"No worries. That was just a big group," assured the fighter confidently, "We just have to keep our eyes out for a more manageable one and we're fine."</p><p>"If you're sure..." the former replied hesitantly as everyone followed the lion girl's lead.</p><p>Thus, they spent more time down in the sewers. Unfortunately, they didn't stumble into anyone or anything else… although there was one time Polka slipped on a wet patch she didn't notice. She almost fell in. She didn't. Only her foot did. She pretty much shrieked in horror and tried shaking her limb dry, causing everyone to run back and staying quite far away until she stopped.</p><p>"There, there, you can wash it up later," comforted Nene, patting the monk on the shoulder while staying away at a respectable distance.</p><p>"Hng," sounded off the fennec fox girl with a pout.</p><p>"Hey, this is weird," the lion girl said aloud, "I see a light ahead."</p><p>True enough, there seemed to be a part of the wall that had crumbled. Going near and peeking around the corner, the girls found a short passage that led to a large-ish room. Polka volunteered to sneak inside to take a peek. Getting everyone's agreement, she snuck in. A few minutes later, she came back and informed worriedly, "I saw two guys inside, all robbed up and suspicious. They had just finished summoning some sort of rotting corpse."</p><p>"Evil men!" Lamy declared softly, "We have to stop them."</p><p>"Eh, I thought you were seconds away from a headache," chimed in Nene.</p><p>"Summoning undead is bad," the cleric retorted as she sent a glare at her, arms akimbo as if she was going to start scolding the bard.</p><p>"Yosh, let's rush in and surprise them," the lion girl urged, "We should be able to take them easily if we do this right."</p><p>"We better hurry then, just in case try to summon more," added the monk in full agreement.</p><p>With the decision made, the party sneaked in as quietly as possible. Unfortunately, Botan kicked some loose debris in the tunnel by accident, causing the robbed figures inside to be warned and by the time the party was in the room, they were forewarned and ready to fight.</p><p>"Get them," said one of them as he motioned the zombie to attack.</p><p>However, the party was faster. Nene and Polka ran ahead of the rest, the bard stabbing one cultist in the chest. The fox girl jumped and twirled, lashing out with her leg and kicking both men in the head. The first one fell over backward, his skull slamming against the stone floor and cracking apart internally. The second was about to slash her with his sword but was staggered by the blow.</p><p>Meanwhile, the other two targeted the zombie. Botan shot at it as she skirted around the fight, hugging the wall, but missed. The arrow flew past and broke against the wall as the zombie lumbered forward and punched the recovering fox monk. She tried to block but it was stronger than expected and the blow left her arms very sore. At the same time, Lamy raised and pointed her finger at the undead.</p><p>"The icy floes and frosty chills come, best keep moving or fall to slumber."</p><p>Her chant sent a frigid beam of blue light streaking at its chest. It's body frosted over as its movement slowed down.</p><p>Taking her chance, the bard stabbed the zombie in the chest. The monk kicked out, the first blow striking the remaining cultist once again in the head with her shin, and the second blow crashed into its arm with her heel. The zombie's arm became bent at an odd angle and its body tilted over to the side, unfortunately shifting it out of the way from the lion girl's arrow. The undead was also trying to attack the fennec fox girl with its broken arm, the limb flailing around uselessly. Such jarring movement sent the limb at an odd angle and blocked the cleric's frost ray. It took the entire attack and it shattered to pieces as it impacted its own head.</p><p>The zombie staggered back as Nene stabbed her rapier in its side while Polka punched it in the chest. Her fist went through the fragile body. However, as she pulled her hand out, it groaned out and tried to grab her. She screamed and blindly punched its head off. Its fleshy skull flew off its desiccated body and shattered against the stone wall of the room.</p><p>As the party relaxed upon the fall of the zombie, the fighter retrieved the arrow that was still intact and said with a grin, "A good fight."</p><p>"I doubt we'd get paid for this," muttered the monk as she looked around the room, "I bet these don't count as pests."</p><p>"Can we get back to the sewer cleaners guild, please?" asked the half-snow elf, "Even if it was good that we took them down without much difficulty, I rather we don't push our luck."</p><p>"I think I agree with Lamy," added the bard, "Pushing our luck is a bad thing."</p><p>"Alright, alright," relented the lion girl, "I admit… I do feel satisfied. We'll go back now."</p><p>
  <strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the sequel. Time for some electric boogaloo with Hololive Gen 5.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Going out into the world to see the wonders it has to offer</strong>
</p><p>Nene Momosuzu</p><p>Standard Human</p><p>Bard</p><p>
  <strong>Leaving behind her noble family to make a name for herself</strong>
</p><p>Lamy Yukihana</p><p>Half-Snow Elf</p><p>Life Domain Cleric</p><p>
  <strong>One of two from Gekko, the tribal hunter from the grasslands.</strong>
</p><p>Botan Shishiro</p><p>Lion Kemonomimi</p><p>Fighter</p><p>
  <strong>Second from Gekko and future ringmaster of her own circus</strong>
</p><p>Polka Omaru</p><p>Fennec Fox Kemonomimi</p><p>Monk</p><p><strong>Our new heroes, everyone. So, we aren't going to follow any one particular person. This time, we follow the group as a whole. Do stick around to read of their adventures. </strong> <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 2</p><p>The party made their way back to the sewer entrance. Thankfully, on the way back, they met up with a group of sewer cleaners that were heading the same way. Nene and Polka listened to them talking about the normal and weird stuff the crew encountered while on duty. Rats. Cockroaches. Spiders. The occasional shady person slinking around. Running away from a sewer shambler. Weird. There were also stories of giant alligators and sludge monsters. Safe to say, the party was weirded out by the strange stories. Still, time passed quickly and they reached the entrance in no time. The door clanged loudly and this time the leader himself opened the door to let everyone in.</p><p>"Well, this is a surprise," he said as he eyed the party, "Nice of the guild to send help over. So, pest control… what do you have for me?"</p><p>As Botan pulled out the proof, the sewer crew walked past them and went upstairs.</p><p>"Ah, well, you can toss those back into the sewer," he informed them after looking at the results, "I'll be getting your pay. Help to close the door, will ya?"</p><p>As he went up the stairs, Botan threw the parts into the water and closed the door shut. The party then went up and made their way to his office, where he handed them their reward.</p><p>"Right, two hundred silver and another forty for the extra," he declared as the loin girl bounced the bag in her hand, the pieces clinking inside.</p><p>"Thank you very much, sir," Nene replied as the party left and made their way back to the guild house.</p><p>"Welcome back," greeted Miyabi as they came in, "Did it go well?"</p><p>"Yup, we did it… I wanna wash my feet," replied Polka, glancing down at the foot that was dipped in sewer water.</p><p>After directing her to the water closet, he continued, "So, the sun is still up. Are you up for another quest?"</p><p>"I suppose. Preferably not in the sewers this time," spoke up Lamy.</p><p>"Ah, right..." he mused as he shuffled through the stack of papers he had on the counter. Then, he pulled out a piece of paper and said, "Well, here is a simple one. Accompany a herbalist to collect herbs. So, we always receive these kinds of requests. Easy tasks that could be completed quickly, although the pay is less than what you get from the board there. Now, this particular herbalist frequents the forests around the city in the evening looking for herbs, with or without company. From what I know of him, he appreciates the help. Although, looking at your condition, I'd suggest resting for an hour or so before taking this on."</p><p>"Ah, I guess I could use a cat nap," muttered Botan with a yawn.</p><p>"Alright, we can sit in the side room while we wait for Polka," said Nene with a grin.</p><hr/><p>"Evenin' ladies. I suppose you're my escort for the day," greeted the herbalist. Miyabi said his name was Kelin. He was an average looking guy sporting a tan robe with a leather bag slung over his shoulder.</p><p>"Yeah. Please take care of us," replied the bard politely.</p><p>He chuckled and said, "I think I'll be in your capable hands than the other way around. In any case, let's get going. Time's a-wastin' and there are herbs in need of collecting."</p><p>That said, he led them out the east gate, where the forest is the closest. They didn't seem to go too far in and they always stopped intermittently for Kelin to check the area for identifiable herbs. So far, he had what looked to be grasses and mushrooms stored in his bag. They had a pretty relaxing time, but the lion girl seemed to be getting antsy.</p><p>"Are you alright?" asked Polka as she nudged her party mate.</p><p>"Even if I'm fine with this, running around without getting into a fight isn't what I imagined ending my day with," replied Botan as her ears involuntarily twitched.</p><p>Suddenly, there was rustling as the herbalist cut out some herbs.</p><p>"Bad. Bad. Bad," were chanted as the bushes suddenly sprung to life. Kelin hurriedly retreated behind the party, who immediately drew their weapons. The shrubs then shuffled closer to them.</p><p>"What in the world happened?" shouted Polka as she darted forward and smashed the first shrub to splinters.</p><p>"I don't know! I've never seen the forest come alive like this before!" replied the herbalist in a shout as the shrubs rushed down the monk, scratching her with their branches and twigs.</p><p>"Enough talking, she needs our help," retorted Nene as Lamy chanted and stretched out her hand while she chanted, shooting one shrub with a ray of frost.</p><p>As Botan moved in to finish it off, the bard shouted encouragement, "Hang on, Polka! We're right behind you." She started joining in to stab at the awakened shrubs.</p><p>"Hurry!" the fennec fox girl shouted back as she weathered the scratching blows to strike back at one of the shrubs.</p><p>One by one, the awakened plants fell to frost and claw, to sword and fist. However, a lucky hit struck the monk in the head and she fell on the ground, groaning in pain.</p><p>"Polka!" shouted Nene as she moved to stab another shrub. With a melodic tone, she called out a healing note, a word linked to reinvigoration, and a green aura enveloped the downed fox girl. With a roar, she rose to her feet and beat another shrub to splinters. Crisis averted, they quickly finished off the rest of the awakened shrubs.</p><p>"Thank the gods you're here," exclaimed a relieved Kelin as he approached the party that was surrounded by broken wood and torn leaves, with burst splinters scattered everywhere.</p><p>"Are you alright, Polka?" asked Lamy with concern as the cleric fussed over the monk.</p><p>"I'm fine, Lamy," she assured with a grin, "No need to mother me so much."</p><p>"Then you shouldn't have run in straight away," scolded Nene with a frown, "If we weren't here to help, you might have died."</p><p>"Hn, why did those shrubs suddenly come alive?" asked Botan with a puzzled look, "These kinds of things don't happen naturally."</p><p>"I would imagine so," a voice suddenly said.</p><p>Leaves flew and swirled at a point in front of all of them. Slowly, a green woman stepped out of the whirling vortex that dissipated as she was fully formed. She was almost naked save for leaves protecting the more important parts.</p><p>"A protector of nature," the lion girl murmured reverently. She bowed and asked, "How can we be of service?"</p><p>"All is well, nature friend," the dryad replied serenely, "As long as no tree is harmed needlessly, all is well." Glancing around, she continued, "So it seems someone has been playing with the underbrush. I am afraid it is common to find such things happening when one has recently been experimenting with using their powers. If you wish to help, then perhaps you would go to the school in the city to remind them to try not to damage the forest with reckless experimentation."</p><p>"Gladly," the fighter accepted.</p><p>Nodding, she turned to the herbalist and said, "A kind man, you are. Your care for nature is appreciated." As he blushed and muttered his thanks, she turned to the others and said, "As long as you do no lasting harm, the forest welcomes you. Goodbye." And she dissolved into a whirlwind of leaves that was carried off in the wind.</p><p>The first to recover was Nene, who said, "Okay… right, have we collected everything we needed, Kelin."</p><p>"Oh, ah, yes, we have," he replied, composing himself, "Yes, well, please. Come with me to my shop and you will be properly compensated."</p><hr/><p>The grateful herbalist rewarded them with four healing potions. They agreed to take one each and then headed back to the guild house. As usual, Miyabi was there to greet them.</p><p>"Welcome back," greeted the guild clerk, "Well, night time is coming, so no more quests until tomorrow. So, I suppose you want to make use of the rooms upstairs?"</p><p>"Yes, please," said the party in unison, who then devolved into giggles, except Botan, who smirked.</p><p>"Ah, well… please go to Robel if you wish to eat. I recommend the fried chicken. It's pretty good," stated Miyabi with a smile.</p><p>After handing the room keys to them as well as telling them which rooms they were having, they decided to check out the bar across the street. Strange enough, it had a welcoming feel to it when they walked through the doors. The place was half full at the time and still had unattended tables. A ginger-haired guy manned the bar, dressed very smartly and chatting with a few drinkers seated there. The general atmosphere was just as noisy as a normal tavern. They sat at an empty table and a waitress came to take their order. They took on Miyabi's suggestion and ordered a serving of fried chicken.</p><p>"So, what brought you here to join the guild?" asked Nene when the waitress left, "For me, I wanted to get to know the world better and find my place in it… and hopefully bring joy to the people at the same time."</p><p>"I want to run my own traveling circus," Polka stated boldly, thumbing to herself, "I grew up in one and when the ringmaster retired and the circus disbanded, my family settled down near Gekko. I want to bring joy and laughter the same way as well, only with fame and fortune included as well. Any of you want to join?"</p><p>"I could give it a try, if only once," offered the bard.</p><p>"Yay! My first member," cheered the fennec fox girl.</p><p>"Hn… I lived with a nomadic tribe in the grasslands near Gekko," said Botan calmly, "To be honest, I wanted to explore the world and see what's there before going back home and taking up my mantle as a hunter of the tribe."</p><p>"A noble purpose," praised Lamy with a serene smile, "As for my reasons, I wished to explore my independence. To see what I can accomplish, be it great or small. And hopefully, do my family proud when I return with tales of my adventures."</p><p>It was then the waitress brought their drinks. Nene then lifted her mug of ale and said, "Well, here is to our future adventures. Cheers!" The others echoed her actions and toasted, drinking a mouthful of ale. The lion girl let out a sigh of satisfaction while the half-snow elf hiccuped softly with a blush.</p><p>"Kikiriki! Here's your chicken!" said a different person very jovially. It wasn't their waitress in a commonly seen waiting dress.</p><p>Instead, it was a girl wearing two hats dressed in a vibrant orange and red dress with a short skirt. She held a plate of hot fried chicken, vegetables, and a dollop of something yellow in one hand and balanced three other places of similar servings on her other. One by one, she placed the plates in front of them. The smell was absolutely mouth-drooling and the party's reaction mirrored that.</p><p>"Go on, dig in! Tell me what you think," she encouraged them.</p><p>Their hunger aroused, they quickly dug in and soon, exclamations of joy and excitement. This brought a great big smile to the girl with two hats. "And my work here is done," she stated happily as she headed back to the kitchen. The chicken, the vegetables, and the dollop that they discovered was potato, was polished off in no time. Soon, the party was letting out sounds of satisfaction.</p><p>"Amazing," muttered Nene.</p><p>"If I knew this existed, I'd come here sooner," agreed Botan.</p><p>With Lamy offering to pay for dinner, the party headed back to the guild house. After chit-chatting a bit, they headed back to their rooms and turned in for the night.</p><hr/><p>Morning came and the party was up and ready. Water was really cold but they braved the lower temperatures and took turns to use the bath. They then adjourned to the bar to get a quick breakfast before beginning a new day as adventurers.</p><p>Polka walked up to the counter and slammed the wood surface, declaring, "Quest, please!"</p><p>Miyabi was taken aback. Then, he sighed and said, "Honestly, too early… alright, go ahead and look on the board."</p><p>They hurried over and crowded around it. Since it was still early in the day, there weren't that many other adventurers there. After some hushed discussion, they picked out one request and brought it to the counter.</p><p>Miyabi picked it up and examined it. "Hmm, an escort quest? I see. Well, if I'm not mistaken, this person is a weapons trader and is heading north towards the nearest village. If I am correct, it is a half-a-day's trip by foot and faster by cart. I think if you leave now, you'd be back here by night time. As for the trader, she informed me that she will be waiting at the north gate, so do make your way there."</p><p>"Sounds good. Let's get to it!" cheered on Nene, echoing what was on the party's minds.</p><hr/><p>They made their way to the north gate after getting their backpacks in order and met up with the trader. She was in a typical trader's getup of brown-colored traveling clothes with the only addition being a blacksmith's apron with a few tools sticking out of it. She had a box of her wares on her draft horse securely strapped on one side and a small anvil over the other. She shook hands with them after greeting, "Good morning, I'm Jen. I suppose you're my bodyguards?"</p><p>"We are!" said Nene with a smile, "We are ready to go at a moment's notice."</p><p>"Nice to meet you all," she replied, returning the grin, "Right. Let's get going. These weapons aren't going to sell themselves."</p><p>"Yahoo!" exclaimed Polka as they made their way past the northern gate.</p><p>The party and the trader took their time to walk, careful not to tire themselves out by moving too fast. They made good progress after a few hours but some rustling in some tall grass that they were going to pass by put them on alert. Botan heard some growling as well.</p><p>"Jen, I think something's in there," warned the bard as everyone dropped their packs and moved towards the side of the road.</p><p>"Ah, then I'll be waiting here then," replied the trader worriedly tugging on the reins of the horse to halt it.</p><p>Suddenly, a lion burst out of the grass and leaped straight at Polka. She was instantly knocked off her feet as a clawed paw struck her chest. It then took a big bite out of her shoulder.</p><p>"Get off her!" roared Botan as she tried to claw its head. It suddenly let go of the screaming monk's shoulder and leaped back to avoid her claws. However, that left it open.</p><p>Nene practically shouted out the healing note as she stabbed the wild animal in its side. At the same time, Lamy clutched her amulet as she muttered softly shoving her hand at the fox girl. A shimmering aura coated her and then the cleric turned her attention to the beast, her hand going in a grasping motion and pointed at it. The frost that formed over the entire head caused it to roar in agony. It tried to maul Polka again but with the ice over its eyes and the shimmering aura covering the monk, it failed to do anything of note.</p><p>The fennec fox girl wasted no time leaping to her feet and sent a roundhouse kick to its frosty nose. The crunch was audible. She kept up the pace and landed a thunderous punch to the exact same place with a furious yell. The force of the blow pretty much shattered the front of its skull and it went down in a heap, blood flowing out its nose.</p><p>"Are you alright?" asked the lion girl as the monk bent over with her hands over her knees, her heavy breaths gulping down precious air.</p><p>"I…'m fine..." was the ragged reply. As the others gathered around her and showed their concern, her breathing leveled and she then said, "You know… can we bring the body and sell it at the village?"</p><p>Everyone blinked. The trader brought her horse over and asked, "So, what's the plan now?"</p><p>Polka grinned and said, "Well, it's like this..."</p><p><strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. </strong> <strong>So, Holo5 finished their jaunt in the sewers. Then, they made a second run outside in the forest. The forest comes alive. Quite literally. After that, a little cameo from an unknown chef -wink-wink-. The next day, an escort quest as well as the establishment of some... shenanigans for Botan. Other than that, t</strong><strong>hank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 3</p><p>In the end, Botan was asked to carry the body to the village. She picked it up easily and carried over her shoulders. With that settled, the group made their way to the village. They reached it late afternoon.</p><p>"Well, this is where we part. Thanks for the help," Jen said thankfully as she handed over a bag, "Here's your reward, eighty gold. Don't spend it all in one place, eh?"</p><p>"Thank you very much," the four replied with grins on their faces.</p><p>"Alright, let's get this to someone. I'm sure there is a butcher or a leatherworker in the village somewhere," stated Polka as the trader brought the horse over to the general store, "We can sell off the body and make a little extra."</p><p>This little titbit piqued Botan's interest. "Hmm, can we keep the head as a trophy?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.</p><p>"I don't see why not."</p><p>"Okay! Let's find someone to do this then!" the lion girl exclaimed as she proceeded to drag the fennec fox girl with her.</p><p>"Ah-ha… I guess take this time to rest and look around I suppose," stated Nene sheepishly, with Lamy nodding in sound agreement.</p><p>So, both of them relaxed their guard and wandered around the village. Meanwhile, the lion and the fox successfully found not a butcher but a hunter who knows how to butcher various animals, lions included. He was a little surprised to find a lion girl bringing an actual lion to him but he quickly got over it and bought the body from them. After an hour, Botan walked away with the head of a lion. He did inform them that because Polka's punch wrecked the skull, they had to be careful in handling the head so as to not have the bone shards cut through its skin.</p><p>"Ready?" asked the bard as everyone met up at the entrance.</p><p>"La-lion, la-lion," sang out the lion girl softly as she carefully carried the head.</p><p>"Alright… let's get back to the city," declared Nene as they began walking.</p><p>Indeed, they were eager to get back, their fighter even more so as she had a grand trophy to display. Well, they would have to find a taxidermist to stuff it, but she would be willing to pay well if it ended up good. The sun had just begun to dip into the horizon when she noticed something odd in the distance. She was about to say something when…</p><p>"Hey, what's that?" spoke up Polka as she pointed in the distance. It was a little blurry but they could see something large and wolf-like. With something green or brown on it.</p><p>"Hmm, I see it too," muttered Botan. It was then a breath of wind picked up and blew towards them. She was able to get a whiff of something odd and familiar. She blinked and her lion ears twitched in response. "I think… huh, strange… it smells of goblins and worgs."</p><p>"Is that bad?" asked Nene with curiosity in her voice.</p><p>"Well… if they are raiders, it would be..." the former started but then, the howling started.</p><p>"That doesn't sound good," stated Lamy as she dropped her pack. The other two did the same.</p><p>"Guh, not good, not good," repeated the fighter as she dropped her pack and carefully placed the lion's head next to it, "Just two… must be a scout party. Not sure if this is a new one or not, but if it finds the village, it will be under threat."</p><p>"Okay, let's get ready," muttered the bard as she and the monk got their throwing items ready.</p><p>As the cleric chanted and placed blessings upon them, the lion girl nocked an arrow to her shortbow and aimed. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Release. The arrow flew true, lodging into its chest and sent him flying off the worg. The remaining goblin started shouting in an unknown language and the worgs split off, one heading straight to their front while the other circled around them, the goblin on it content to take potshots at the group. A goblin arrow became lodged in the fighter's shoulder but she pulled it out immediately as it was only a piece of sharpened wood fletched with feathers. The moment the first worg came near, dagger and dart flew true but they clanged off the roughshod armor that was strapped to the wolf-like beast.</p><p>"Incoming," warned Nene as she ran up to serve as Botan's backup. Frost, dart, and arrow injured the charging beast but it barely slowed it down as it clamped down on her arm with its sharp teeth.</p><p>"Get him!" Botan shouted as she raised her bitten arm, exposing its underbelly.</p><p>The bard tried to help but somehow, she could barely pierce its leathery hide. Magic worked better as Lamy sent a flash of bright light that tore through its skin easily. The fighter then pushed the dead body away and in one swift move, shot goblin number two in the head. The remaining worg howled and charged down on them. It shrugged off the projectiles that pierced its skin and tried to attack the -half-snow elf. It moved too fast and she got out of the way of its furious bite.</p><p>However, this opened it to getting piled on by the entire party. Blood dripping down its side and flanks, it tried to run away, but Nene got to it in the throat before it could. She pulled out her weapon and flicked the blood off.</p><p>"Woohoo, another victory!" exclaimed Polka as she did a few cartwheels, "We're on fire!"</p><p>"Thank goodness," muttered the lion girl as she drank her potion of healing.</p><p>"Well, let's get moving," said Lamy as she went to pick up her pack, "We better warn the guards when we get back. Maybe they could send people over to check up on the village."</p><p>They agreed as they mirrored her actions. Soon, the party was making their way back to the city once more. The sun was halfway down when they heard the sound of galloping. A centaur came into view, looking quite harried and tired.</p><p>"Help, please!" he pleaded as howls and growls followed after him, "My patrol was attacked and my two friends died. Please, I ask for your aid."</p><p>"Let's do this," shouted Botan as she set the lion head down carefully once more.</p><p>The party lined themselves in front of the injured centaur as the pack of hyena's arrived and stalked them. They were led by a larger, more brutish hyena that growled at them. They held their ground for a moment… then Polka threw a dart at one of the hyenas. The beasts charged them down, their slavering jaws biting at the first body part they saw. As they crashed against the line, the injured centaur aided them by attacking beyond the reach of the hyenas with its pike. The normal hyenas were taken out easily and they fell under the party's weapons and punches and claws.</p><p>The giant hyena took a little more time. Lamy's frost ray coupled with Botan's claws and Nene's rapier whittled it down a little. However, that kept it occupied long enough for the monk to rain blows into its side. Combined with another jab of the centaur's pike, the whittling stacked up and the fighter took the final blow. The large beast collapsed to the earth as the lion girl ripped out its throat and threw the piece of flesh down behind her.</p><p>The injured centaur let loose a breath of relief and said gratefully, "Thank you for your aid."</p><p>"No worries," replied the bard with a smile, "We were glad to help."</p><p>He nodded and continued, "Please, I wish to know the names of my rescuers that I may tell my tribe. Then, perhaps we can repay your help in the future." After getting their names, he bowed and said, "Once again, my thanks. I shall leave you now. I must see to the bodies of my friends."</p><p>"That was kind of sad though," muttered the bard as the party went to retrieve their belongings, "They are just hunters doing their job and they lost two people just like that."</p><p>"That's life," stated the lion girl as she gingerly picked up the lion head, "Things will happen outside what we expect. You just have to roll with it and adapt."</p><p>"All we can do is mitigate the harshness of life," added Lamy, "It's why we do this. To help and ease their burdens."</p><p>"Hey, enough being gloomy," chided Polka as she threw her hands up in the air, "We did some good deeds today, so cheer up a little!"</p><p>Muted chuckling rippled through the party, lightening the mood as they made their way back to the city. At the gate, they paused to notify the guards about the goblins. After getting assurances of redirected patrol, they went back to the guild house. By that time, night had fallen when they stepped into the building.</p><p>"Hello, welcome back," greeted Miyabi with a gentle smile, "You're the last ones back. How was it?"</p><p>As the others told the guild clerk what happened, Nene looked around. The counter had several candles to keep the place brightly lit. She could hear strains of musical notes coming from the side room. Thinking back to the barely decorated room, she wondered if Botan would place the lion head there.</p><p>"Hmm, this would be difficult," Miyabi stated as he looked over the head, "Most of the shops are closed right now. You will have to get someone to help preserve this until tomorrow."</p><p>"Oh? So do you know anyone?" asked Botan with concern.</p><p>"Well… tell you what. Try and find Artia in the bar," he suggested after some thought, "She attends the school and she might know someone who could magically preserve this."</p><p>Immediately, the lion girl raced out of the building. "...I didn't even tell her Artia's description yet," he whined a little.</p><p>Nene sighed and said, "We better go after her."</p><p>They hurried out the door and went after the eager fighter. At the bar, they found their lion girl talking to a white-haired, red-eyed girl sitting alone at the table.</p><p>"...I guess… I think I can direct you to someone who can," they overheard what they presumed to be Artia.</p><p>"Yes, thank you so much!" Botan exclaimed.</p><p>"Alright, you're lucky I've just finished my meal and on my way to return to my dorm," she stated as she stood up, "Follow me, then."</p><hr/><p>"Good evening, Artia. What brings you here?" asked the teacher who Artia brought the party to. She was in the class looking through student's work when they met up with her. She had pink flowing hair and bright red eyes. She also had an animated skeleton of a dog sitting at her feet. This lent to her having a necromancer's vibe to her, which unnerved the party a little.</p><p>"Umm, I'm sorry for disturbing you, Miss Rushia," apologized the wizard, "But, erm, these are… new guild members and they wish to ask for help." She then motioned Botan to make her request.</p><p>"Er, yes, umm, can you help me preserve this? At least until tomorrow, so that I can get it stuffed," asked the lion girl as she held up the lion's head.</p><p>The teacher sat there in silence, staring at them for a few seconds. It began to feel like she was going to refuse when she said, "I can… but I will require payment."</p><p>"If we are able to afford it, we can," the fighter immediately answered.</p><p>"Very well," the former stated as she got up from the table.</p><p>Moving to an empty space in the class, she took out a piece of chalk from her pocket and knelt down to draw out a magic circle. Artia motioned them to take a seat while they waited. A minute later, the circle and the related signs and runes were drawn.</p><p>"Alright, place the head in the circle and you can leave," Rushia stated and explained as she pulled out an arcane rod, "The ritual will take a while to cast, but you can retrieve it tomorrow. The head will be protected from decay and rot for ten days, even after more mundane methods are used to preserve it."</p><p>"Thank you! Thank you so much!" exclaimed Botan.</p><p>"A hundred gold."</p><p>"...eh?"</p><p>"A hundred gold, if you would please pay up now?" the teacher stated with a smile as she held out her hand.</p><p>After pooling their resources, they successfully paid the teacher, who gave them a smile and deposited the bag on the table. She then bent down to take her spellbook that her familiar retrieved. She then proceeded to shoo them out, wanting to commence the ritual. The last thing they saw before they left was her placing copper pieces over the head's eyes.</p><hr/><p>"Urgh, all the gold we earned went to her," groaned Polka as they made their way back to the bar for something to eat.</p><p>"At least we still have some money with us," comforted Nene, giving the fennec fox girl a weak smile.</p><p>"Hmm, maybe we should take a more difficult request tomorrow," mused Botan, "After getting the head to someone who can turn it into a trophy, of course."</p><p>"Indeed. Maybe we might be able to get a discount by doing something for whomever is doing it," added Lamy, "Regardless, let's have dinner. We have plenty to figure out tomorrow."</p><p>The party was in agreement. As they stepped through the doors, they were greeted with a lot of clapping and cheering. Two bards were busy playing a rousing song and having everyone singing along. It was a funny one that got everyone into it. The two musicians seemed familiar… and then it hit them as they took a seat away from the boisterous crowd.</p><p>"Aren't those the two that were chasing after that girl yesterday?" asked their bard as she hummed the tune in play.</p><p>"Hmm, wonder what happened to her..." mused the fennec fox girl.</p><p>"One, that girl is actually a guy," spoke up a voice behind her, "Two, I'm right behind you."</p><p>She jerked and looked around in surprise. That same blue-haired girl… guy… was standing behind her, arms crossed over his chest, twirling a lock of his hair with his finger.</p><p>"Er, sorry?" she apologized sheepishly but he waved her off.</p><p>"It's fine," he assured her, "Everyone at the guild knows it, so no worries. Also, it's fun trying to trick newbies."</p><p>"Hn, we aren't newbies anymore," stated the lion girl, looking a little annoyed.</p><p>He grinned and replied, "Maybe… but you haven't gone all that far yet. You're still dealing in small fry. No worries. You'll have time. Then, maybe you can join me in some shenanigans."</p><p>With that, he walked off and blended in with the crowd.</p><p>"Huh, that's one of our seniors then," Nene muttered but was taken aback when she turned to her friends. All three of them seemed to be fired up by his words. "...I guess we're getting that difficult quest tomorrow then," she presumed with a smile.</p><p>"Yes!" said all three. She giggled. Truth be told, she felt the same way. A little.</p><p>The party of four vowed to get stronger and show the world what they were made of.</p><p><strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. </strong> <strong>Right, today we finish several fights as well as introduce someone new... No, not Rushia. The necromancer is already known. I'm talking about the student.</strong></p><p>Artia</p><p>Ice Genasi</p><p>Order of Scribes Wizard</p><p>
  <strong>So, Ice Genasi is a homebrew thing I found. Add one to Con and Wis, ice/cold resistance, and a frost breath that is similar to a dragonborn's breath weapon. While Order of Scribes lets you use your spellbook as your focus as well as modify your spell's damage type. And since she is supposed to be an ice elementalist, whatever damage spells she uses will be changed to cold damage.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>And after bumping into her, holo5 bumps into Kira.</strong>
</p><p>Kira Yagami</p><p>Human, Variant</p><p>Rogue/Bard multiclass</p><p>Assassin/College of Glamour</p><p>
  <strong>Right, honestly, you can go any type of human you want, either standard or variant. What he really gets is the Charlatan background. Since he's a trap. A very good one too. He's good in PvP, so I decided on Assassin Rogue. Collage of Glamour helps reinforce his Charlatan background. Not to mention he is a pretty good singer. As for his musical instrument? In chapter 1, what did he use to prank the duo?</strong>
</p><p><strong>And that's a wrap. T</strong> <strong>hank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 4</p>
<p>The day began easily enough. The party went to retrieve Botan's lion head at the school. Then, after some enquiries, they were directed to a hunting shop and tannery that was known to do embalming and preservation of animals on the side. In the shop, they were greeted by an assortment of bows and arrows. The lady at the counter greeted them with a smile, "Good morning. How may I help you today?"</p>
<p>"Good morning. I wish to have this become a trophy," replied the lion girl as she placed the head on the counter.</p>
<p>The counter lady looked at her and then at the head. "Oh, the irony," she muttered before addressing her customer, "Well, it seems the early bird caught the worm. Sure we can turn this head into a trophy. Um, give my husband a day or two and it'll be ready and waiting for you to collect."</p>
<p>"That's great," Botan said with a toothy smile, "How much do I need to pay?"</p>
<p>"Three hundred silver pieces," the lady stated.</p>
<p>The lion girl paid up happily and then the party went back to the guild house to look for a new request. When they reached there, there were several people already there. A few were leaving, the girly senior included. He winked at them as they passed each other. They decided to ignore that and headed straight to the board. There were several others there with one recognizable face.</p>
<p>"Hey, Artia," greeted Polka with a grin, "Who are your friends?"</p>
<p>"Hello," returned the frost mage. Motioning to the two beside her, she introduced, "This is Doris from the Deep Sea and Civia from Gekko."</p>
<p>The mermaid triton and half-unicorn waved at the party with smiles, "Hello."</p>
<p>"Oh, we're from Gekko too!" the fennec fox girl exclaimed as she pulled Botan in.</p>
<p>"Ah, nice! From the Dankimba tribe, yes?" asked the half-unicorn.</p>
<p>"Yeah… although, I've never heard of half-unicorns before," stated the lion girl.</p>
<p>"Ah... we aren't normally seen and pretty secretive?" she said a little sheepishly.</p>
<p>"Hn, I guess..." the fighter accepted.</p>
<p>After a few awkward seconds, Nene piped up, "Anyway, we won't take too much of your time. We need to take a quest, after all."</p>
<p>"Ah, yes. We'll be going now," replied the frost mage gratefully as she pulled her two friends away, "Good day!"</p>
<p>"What was that about?" the bard asked as she turned to face the fighter.</p>
<p>"...Nothing… just curious."</p>
<p>She stared at her for a moment longer before deciding to put it aside for now and went back to request hunting. After a while, it was Lamy who pulled something off the board. She took it to Miyabi and the other three followed after her.</p>
<p>He scrutinized it for a moment before saying, "Huh, this will take you far outside the city. Are you sure about this?"</p>
<p>"Yes," they said in unison.</p>
<p>"Alright… so, you'll be going to hub town Solfano to see the mayor for directions to the mystery cave," he informed them, "I suggest taking a cart from the east gate to get there to shorten travel time, though if you want to go on foot, it will take a longer time. I'll leave the decision up to you."</p>
<p>"Yosh, let's go then," said Polka cheerfully.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The party decided to take a cart there. The half-snow elf cleric hired it at the stable, everyone got on and they were on their way. The forest in the morning was peaceful and beautiful. And for a moment, it remained that way. Nene listened intently to the sounds of the forest. Botan kept her eyes on the road, looking a little bored. Polka was attempting to juggle her darts and somewhat failing with all the shaking of the cart. Lamy sat there with her eyes closed and meditating serenely.</p>
<p>Suddenly, two javelins thudded into the driver's seat, prompting a high pitched shriek from the driver. This jolted everyone out of their peace and put them on alert.</p>
<p>"This is a hold up!" called out a bandit as a group of four of them stepped out of the forest and onto the path, accompanied by two orcs, "Drop all your money and your valuables over the side of your cart and you can be on your way. Your lives are in your hands."</p>
<p>"Bandits?" muttered the bard under her breath.</p>
<p>"Let's get them," said the fighter eagerly.</p>
<p>"Hey, can you distract them for a moment? I might be able to sneak around and get them," the monk suddenly asked them.</p>
<p>"Eh, wait..." protested the cleric but she had already tumbled out of the cart.</p>
<p>Nene glanced at her in disbelief for a moment, but then turned her attention to the holdup, "Erm mind letting us go instead? We are going on a request run on behalf of the adventurers guild."</p>
<p>"Oy, guild or not, we have to eat," the bandit said as he shrugged, "Besides, we got some good back up here." The orcs just grinned, showing off their teeth and tusks.</p>
<p>"Alright, don't blame us if you lose your lives over nothing here," she tried persuading them further.</p>
<p>"Alright, enough jabbering. Are you gonna give us your gold or not?" he retorted.</p>
<p>"Not in your lifetime!" shouted Botan.</p>
<p>"Your loss then. Alright, let's get our keep," the bandit said as he motioned the others forward, "Kill the driver if he twitches."</p>
<p>From the corner of her eye, Nene spotted Polka sneaking behind the trees. Deciding that a more impressive distraction was needed, she drew out her dagger and threw it at the lead bandit, drawing blood from his cheek.</p>
<p>"Why you-"</p>
<p>"Hai-yaaa!" shouted the monk as she ran and flew forward with a flying kick, the ball of her foot slamming into a bandit's temple.</p>
<p>"Get her!" shouted the other bandit as they trained their crossbows on her. Two of the bolts got lodged in her arms as she tried to protect her face and body.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Botan shot an arrow into the first bandit's neck, dropping him quickly. This drew the orc's attention; spouting insults in orcish, they threw their javelins at her but the simple sharpened spears sailed over her head. Concerned, Lamy clutched her amulet as she waved her arms while chanting, praying for blessings on her party.</p>
<p>The bard, feeling concerned with the monk's position, called out to the nearest bandit and said with magic laced words, "Hey! I'm the number one adventurer in Rivirapolis!"</p>
<p>The bandit took one look at her and started laughing hysterically, doubling over and falling to the floor while clutching his sides. Nene's eyebrow twitched in annoyance as Polka cartwheeled around the bandit in front of her, placing herself between him and the nearest orc. She kicked the bandit in the throat and punched the orc in the chest at the same time. However, a crossbow bolt slammed into her chest and knocked her over. The shooter was in turn taken down by arrow and frost. The orcs tried to stop them but their javelins missed again. At that moment, the cleric called out the same healing word that Nene knew, much to her surprise, and rejuvenated Polka, who pulled out the arrow as she got to her feet.</p>
<p>The bard got over her confusion, chalking it up to some godly thing, and targeted the orc, "Hey, stupid orc! Weakling like you can't kill anything!"</p>
<p>Her words struck the orc, shocking it a little which turned into a rage. As it started directing orcish insults at her, Polka continued her striking spree, jumping up and driving her elbow into the other orc's head. She then threw a straight punch at the enraged one, who still had the presence of mind to dodge back and avoid it. Yet, that put it in the path of Botan's arrow that got lodged in its thick muscular neck. Its rage abated when it saw its ally and employers either laughing or dead, it then started running away. The monk tried to trip it and sweep its feet under, it was able to keep its balance and ran off.</p>
<p>"Let's finish this!" declared Lamy before directing her ice at the laughing bandit. That shocked him out of his condition.</p>
<p>He tried standing up but then the bard shouted, "Hey! Stay down, loser!"</p>
<p>He collapsed back onto the ground, shocked by her words. All the monk had to do was walk over and land an axe kick on his face. Meanwhile, Botan drew her arrow back and led the shot before releasing it. The fleeing orc never had a chance.</p>
<p>"By the gods, I'm still alive!" exclaimed the driver, who had remained in terrified silence the whole battle.</p>
<p>"I'm glad you still are," replied the bard, feeling a little squeamish after looking at what they did, "Will you still be able to get us to Solfano?"</p>
<p>"With everyone protecting me, I certainly can!" said the driver gratefully while the lion girl jumped off and went over to help the monk search the bodies for loot. After they were done, they continued on their way. The others didn't seem to be affected by the bloody battle but Nene was having uneasiness settle over her. While she understood that they had to do what they had to do… still, she wished that she was able to talk down the bandits.</p>
<p>"Are you under the weather, Nene?" asked Lamy suddenly.</p>
<p>"Ah… erm, I was kinda wondering if we could have talked those bandits out of attacking us earlier," she admitted.</p>
<p>"Well, I applaud your care for the sanctity of life. I care too," the half-snow elf told her, "However, desperation sometimes drives people to do terrible things and force our hands… Still, you should be fine. You regret taking their lives. That doesn't make you a terrible person. It only makes you human. Well, mortal… um, you know what I mean."</p>
<p>"Yeah, I do," she replied, a demure smile forming on her face, "Thank you, Lamy."</p>
<p>The cleric only smiled in response.</p>
<p>The cart reached Solfana without any further obstacles. The party thanked the driver and said their goodbyes. After getting some directions, they headed straight for the mayor's office.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"<em>We have been getting word that there were strange sounds and lights coming from the Dead Forest. It is a large forest of dead trees a bit north and far east from the town. The legend used to be that the Demon of Fear lived there while it was whole but after Subaru, Smiter of Fear, defeated it, it had been uninhabited until now. The fox cleric with her said that the demon won't be returning until many years in the future so it couldn't be it. Please, I implore you to find out what is happening there. I do not want to leave it alone until it is too late and the livelihoods of the farming communities here are threatened."</em></p>
<hr/>
<p>The mayor's words were taken to heart and they remained in the forefront as they checked into the town inn. With two people per room, they had their dinner and settled down for sleep. Once morning came, they set out for the forest after finishing their preparations. They made it in good time, reaching there with the sun still high in the sky. The forest seemed deserted and the wind was still. It gave the area a creepy atmosphere.</p>
<p>Stepping into the forest, they had a lot of questions on their minds. Why was this forest still here if it was dead? How could it still exist? Is there still anything living here?</p>
<p>The crackle of the dead plant matter crunched under travel boots as they made their way deeper into the forest. Eventually, they came to a cave entrance.</p>
<p>"Huh, is this where all those things are coming from?" asked Polka in confusion, "Do we need to go inside?"</p>
<p>"Looks like it," stated Botan, as she took out a torch from her pack, the monk shrugging and mirroring her actions. Lighting the torches, the party headed inside the cave.</p>
<p>They trekked in the claustrophobic tunnel for what seemed to be several minutes. The tunnel eventually opened up into a cavernous area that had two other exits. The larger one had collapsed while the smaller one was clear. The party went through the only option there one by one. The smaller tunnel led to an even larger cavern. In addition to that, there was very faint growling that Nene and Lamy caught on to just in time. As the ghouls came out of the shadows, the cleric raised her amulet and shouted, "Return to your graves!"</p>
<p>Two of the ghouls groaned and started shuffling away from them while the remaining one shambled over and tried to attack her. Its arms clashed uselessly against her shield while the others beat it down. They then focused the other two down one by one, taking advantage of their turned state. Only Nene got injured in that scuffle as the ghoul got a lucky claw on her arm.</p>
<p>"That was manageable," quipped Polka as she picked up her torch that she dropped.</p>
<p>"Let's not waste any time. Something strange is happening and we need to find out," stated Botan as she did the same.</p>
<p>"How do you know?" asked the bard.</p>
<p>"A gut feeling."</p>
<p>The party made their way deeper into the cave system. The large cavern narrowed down as it led to another exit at the other side. They walked past a rather large stalactite-stalagmite formation right in front of it. Once again, Lamy and Nene somehow were able to hear faint scratchings as if something was walking on the stone floor.</p>
<p>"We are not alone," muttered the bard as she looked around to find the source of the sound, alerting the other two. Lamy then proceeded to pray for blessings again.</p>
<p>It seemed to trigger their ambushers as a glint of metal flashed by as several projectiles were thrown at them. All of them missed save one, which scratched Polka by the side of her head, prompting a yelp. Botan immediately shot at the first form she saw while Polka and Nene did the same at the figure behind them. Loud chittering accompanied the mantis-like humanoids that bounded out of the dark, the one attacking the fighter got a ray of frost freezing one of its lower arms. Both thri-kreen attacked her and the monk respectively. They were skilled with their double-bladed polearms and they were not left untouched. They retaliated but while Botan failed to find her mark, Polka managed to punch hers in the face.</p>
<p>"Hang in there, Botan. Backup is on the way!" shouted Nene as she moved in to help the monk, her rapier piercing its carapace with ease. Lamy helped, sending her next ray of frost into its body.</p>
<p>More chittering accompanied the swing of their blades as the thri-kreen persisted. The one in front was locked in combat with the fighter while the one from behind was able to down one, stabbing Polka in the shoulder and shoulder checking her off. Botan clawed her way down its chest while it was the bard that helped to protect the monk, stabbing it in the chest while casting her healing note to halt the bleeding.</p>
<p>"Oof, that stung," groaned Polka as she got up, during which Lamy finished it off. The chittering became louder as the remaining thri-kreen tried to strike the fighter down and failed. She tried to move in but her hand was batted away by the flat of its weapon. And the moment the bard and the monk came in to support her, the mantis creature fell under a hail of punches and stabs.</p>
<p>"I hope we fight less," muttered Nene with a frown as she looked over the party. Except for Lamy, everyone else was injured.</p>
<p>"Let's just try and avoid the next one?" suggested Lamy, "Maybe sneak past it?"</p>
<p>"Ah, then… let me scout ahead?" suggested the monk.</p>
<p>"Hng… I guess..." grumbled Botan, but agreeing that maybe the party was a little too banged up.</p>
<p>The monk had a relieved grin on her face as she went on ahead into the next cave. A few minutes later, she came back, her face pale. "Urm… sneaking is good. Yeah… There is this bear...owl… thingy up ahead. I don't think even Botan could handle this one."</p>
<p>"Oh… trophy..." murmured the fighter with a shine in her eyes.</p>
<p>"And how are we going to sneak by it?" asked the half-snow elf.</p>
<p>"Well, it sounds fast asleep. You could hear it snoring," stated the fennec fox girl, glancing over at the more armored party members, "We might… be able to sneak past. Although, your armor is kinda noisy..."</p>
<p>They stood there in silence for a while.</p>
<p>"Hmm… alright, I know what to do," mused the bard, "Take off your armor and carry them."</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. A new request as well as a follow up on the hub town Solfano. It seems Subaru has gained quite a bit of renown here since she last visited. Makes one wonder if she was known by other names in other places. Anyway, the party goes to some dead woods for an investigation. Although, what are thri-kreen doing there? Very strange. Hm...</strong>
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<p>
  <strong>And that's a wrap. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 5</p><p>After taking several minutes to doff their armor, they then proceeded to sneak past the owlbear. It was sleeping right next to the exit of the cave, pressed against an indent in the cave wall. Nene and Polka went first with little trouble. Lamy was next. She barely moved five feet before she dropped her gauntlet. Everyone froze when the owlbear snorted and turned around, facing away from the entrance. She, very carefully, bent down and picked up the offending piece of armor and quickly snuck out of the cave. The moment she got past, she fell to her knees and breathed a sigh of relief.</p><p>Then, it was Botan's turn. Thankfully, she made it past without any incident. They continued on their way after the other two helped to re-don their armor. The last cave was an enormous place. In the far off corner, they could see a bright glow emanating from something. As they got nearer, they could see a hooded figure hunched over a table, occasionally glancing at something on the floor.</p><p>The closer they got, the clearer his words. "-the fiends, this is the next level. This spell is so revolutionary. My lord is truly made of knowledge," the figure muttered as he looked between the table and the glowing circle on the floor. The man then started cackling madly as he grabbed something on the table and tossed it into the circle. It seemed to spread over like fine, sparkling dust, He then started chanting in an unintelligible language as he threw his hands in the air, as if reaching to embrace something. Slowly, the glow intensified and burning smoke slowly coalesced and took a humanoid shape.</p><p>A black corset with trimmings of multiple purple hues. Short skirt. Long stockings. Black and purple shoes. Milky, white skin. Black, thin tail. Back length banana yellow and strawberry pink hair. Sharp, manicured nails. A pair of long curved horns, one shorter than the other. The succubus curtsied and asked, "Ah, I have been summoned. What is your request?"</p><p>"Hmm? Strange. You're awfully polite for a succubus?" he said in confusion, "I would have expected a lot more… seduction involved."</p><p>"Ah-ha… I'm new? I need more experience in this so I was told to answer your summons as a test," she said as she rubbed her head sheepishly.</p><p>"...how annoying," he muttered, "In that case, go back and get me someone more experienced with-"</p><p>It was then Nene knocked a rock out of place and the echoes of its bouncing drew their attention.</p><p>"Who goes there?" the summoner shouted as he spun around.</p><p>"People trying to find out what's going on in here," stated the bard, dropping all pretense of stealth, "Are you raising something to threaten the towns here? What sort of madness is this?"</p><p>The man scowled. "Madness!? This is revolutionary spell experimentation!" he retorted, "I have been given wisdom and insight into the world! New spells of untapped potential!"</p><p>"...Are you cuckoo or something?" asked the succubus with a bored look, "Then, again, you tried summoning a fiend. Definitely nuts."</p><p>"Alright, the wizard's gone mad," quipped Botan as she readied her bow, "Maybe we can capture him and turn him in?"</p><p>"As if I would be captured by ignoramuses like you!" he roared hatefully. Raising up his hands, he threw something out at them and shouted, "Arakan ar toa varkant!"</p><p>After a burst of silvery motes of light, a werewolf suddenly appeared in front of them. They gave them a single looked before it howled and started to attack them.</p><p>"Hmph, fools. But if they can find me, others may try and find my secrets," the summoner mused as Polka leaped into a flying kick aimed at the summoned werewolf.</p><p>"Erm, hey, you still haven't told me if you need anything yet," spoke up the succubus as the werewolf remained standing and retaliated with a swipe of its sharp claws.</p><p>Polka was immediately downed after they sliced through her throat.</p><p>"Time to leave," he continued as he muttered an incantation to himself. A magic circle appeared under him and he disappeared in a flash.</p><p>"Grr, stupid wizard," growled out the succubus. Looking over to the fight, she shouted and slammed her fists at the barrier created by the circle, "Hey! Someone get me out of here!"</p><p>Meanwhile, Lamy immediately chanted a healing word to stop the bleeding and restore her throat. She then directed a frost ray at the shapechanger, who dodged out of the way.</p><p>"You will not win this day!" Nene shouted, directing the magic-laced words at the werewolf. After they got enveloped with a red aura, she ran over to the magic circle and asked, "Urm, you were asking for help?"</p><p>"Please can you help me get out?" pleaded the succubus, "That guy just summoned me and left me hanging here. I can't go back without completing his request."</p><p>Botan roared as she leaped on the werewolf in an attempt to wrestle it down, saying, "Get back! Let me handle this!" Polka immediately scurried away and only got to her feet once she was out of range.</p><p>"I guess I could… but can you swear not to attack us? And can you help us with that werewolf?" the bard asked.</p><p>The werewolf snapped at the lion girl in response but she held them back by the throat. Then, she pushed it back as it growled and snarled at her.</p><p>"Anything! I swear not to attack you. Just get me out please!" the succubus half yelled, sounding a little desperate.</p><p>The cleric quickly sent a frost ray into the werewolf's mouth. They yelped in pain and looked angrier than before.</p><p>"Alright, give me a moment," replied the bard as she studied the runes on the circle. She quickly identified the parts where she needed to rub off and got to work.</p><p>The fighter then extended her claws and swiped the werewolf's mouth. She then tried to wrestle and lock them in place but they were able to break out of the hold.</p><p>"Why can't we do anything to it? It's like, not even injured!" exclaimed Polka as her dart bounced off harmlessly against their fur. They then grabbed Botan by the arms and bit down on her shoulder, prompting her to scream in agony. They then relinquished their hold on the lion girl to avoid another ray of frost.</p><p>"And done! Now, please save my friends!" shouted Nene as she repeated her request.</p><p>"With pleasure!" stated the succubus loudly as she ran to the werewolf. She motioned them to come to her and said seductively, "Look into my eyes, big boy. I know what you truly desire."</p><p>The rabid lycanthrope suddenly stopped and stood still in a daze. "Alright, you can stop hitting it now. This one is under me now," she stated proudly.</p><p>"Botan! Are you alright!?" yelled the monk as she ran over to check the lion girl. Pulling out her healing potion and handing it to her, she continued, "Here, drink this."</p><p>"Ngh, fine enough," hissed the fighter as she gingerly touched the bite. As she took and downed the potion, she muttered, "...actually, I feel really, really hot all over."</p><p>"Huh… that doesn't sound good." muttered the succubus.</p><p>"...um, what's your name? I don't mean to be rude, since you helped us and all," asked the bard.</p><p>"Aloe Mano. And… I think your friend needs to see a healer. At least someone more skilled than her," she stated as she motioned to Lamy, "No offense."</p><p>"It is fine. I know I am limited as of now," accepted the half-snow elf, "But you are right. We have to get her to a healer. However, there is still the matter of the owlbear right outside this part of the cave."</p><p>"Ah… actually, I think I have a solution to that problem," stated Aloe as she glanced over to the werewolf.</p><hr/><p>Sounds of the fight grew lesser and lesser as the party and the succubus made their way to the entrance of the cave. In the open, the evening sun shone down on the Dead Forest.</p><p>"This place looks kind of dead," quipped Aloe.</p><p>"Not every place looks like this," replied Nene with a giggle, "Wait till we get to town."</p><p>"I'll hold you to it," the succubus said cheekily.</p><p>They hurried back to the town as fast as they could. The moment they reached the outskirts, she suddenly said, "I think I better hide myself. My elders told me that people won't look too kindly on us walking around in the open." She then slowly disappeared, smoking away from bottom to top. They then entered the town and sought out the town healer or the town herbalist.</p><p>"This is totally unexpected," the older woman muttered as she hurried around trying to gather up the ingredients needed for a makeshift cure, "I don't even know if I have enough belladonna for this." She then set the cauldron to boil and started adding different, colorful herbs into it.</p><p>"Well… I hope we can cure this," muttered the bard as she looked at Botan worriedly, who now looked a little pale right now.</p><p>"Hn… how about me and Nene wait here and you go tell the mayor what happened, Lamy," suggested Polka.</p><p>"I suppose we should tell him," nodded the cleric.</p><p>As she was doing so, the herbalist pulled a draught out of the cauldron and set it on the table to cool. She did this two more times and then told the others, "This will be quite painful. Belladonna is normally a poison, but ingested in small doses, is potent in countering lycanthropy. I do not have enough so I did my best to enhance the effect with other herbs. I do not know if they would be just as effective. One can only pray to the gods and hope for the best after this."</p><p>She then took the first draught, which had cooled enough, and handed it to the lion girl. She stared at it intently for a moment. "Ancestors watch over me," she muttered to herself and took the entire draught in one gulp.</p><p>"Now lie down," ordered the herbalist as she ushered her to the bed, "As tough as you are, it will weaken the body significantly. Not to mention you have to endure two more draughts."</p><p>"This is fine," she breathed out as she laid down. Turning to the others, she said tiredly with a weak smile, "Hey, you can wait for me at the inn. This could take a while."</p><p>"Stay strong," the monk told her as they acceded to her request.</p><p>"Heh, la-lion's strong," quipped the fighter as she fell asleep.</p><hr/><p>"How are you feeling?" asked Polka as the party met up the next morning.</p><p>"Ah… okay, I guess? It was quite painful," admitted Botan, "Still, I think it worked. But I guess we'll have to see the next full moon then."</p><p>"Anyway, request complete and reward taken. Let's get back to Rivirapolis," stated Nene cheerfully.</p><p>"Indeed," agreed Lamy.</p><p>Once again, they hired a cart to bring them back. It was a bright sunny day and so far, no bandits or goblins or anything in sight. Along the way, they introduced themselves to the succubus. Other than that, the journey was peaceful. And so, they reached the capital with very little trouble. Making their way back, they were greeted by Miyabi at the counter.</p><p>"Welcome back! So, the guild master wants to meet with you," he informed them.</p><p>"Eh? Why?" asked the bard, voicing everyone's surprise.</p><p>He shrugged and said, "I don't really know. He always meets everyone from time to time. He's waiting in the side room, by the way."</p><p>The party glanced at each other and shrugged. Entering the side room, they were met with a grey-haired man in rich, fashionable clothes seated at a table in the corner of the room.</p><p>"Hello, there. I am Lord Aruran Daiso. Please, have a seat," he greeted as he motioned to the chairs around the table. Respectfully, the party took their seats. Then, he said something surprising.</p><p>"Hmm, you can ask your succubus friend to come out as well," he suddenly said.</p><p>"Eh, what succubus friend?" asked the bard nervously.</p><p>"Please do not lie to me," the lord said as he steepled his fingers, the atmosphere suddenly turning menacing, "Especially me."</p><p>This stunned them. Almost immediately, Aloe stepped out of her etherealness and quickly sat at the table. Shaking like a leaf.</p><p>"Ah, wonderful," as he clapped once with a smile, the heavy sense of foreboding suddenly disappearing into thin air, "Right. Let's get down to business. So, you have been part of the guild for a few days now. How do you find it?"</p><p>"Erm, welcoming?"</p><p>"Good, good," he nodded with a smile at Polka's reply, "I do wish the guild to be a friendly place for adventurers to gather. The bond of comradery would spur on people to do miraculous things to protect and help one another." His smile then faded away and he took on a more serious approach, "Right, on to other things. What happened during the request? Why does your lion friend here feel strange?"</p><p>"Erm… well, it was like this," and Nene reported what happened during the quest, with additions and interjections from the others. The guild master sat there silently through all of it.</p><p>When they were down, he cleared his throat and said, "Well, this is unexpected. Hmm, first the summoner. It is possible he stumbled on a set of ancient spells that possibly no-one should get a hold off. The question would be… who told him? His words mentioned a lord, but that could be anyone. To him, anyone or anything with sufficient power could be a lord."</p><p>His eyes then bore down on Botan, "The second concern. We need to make sure that the lycanthropy is either gone or suppressed. As well as the possibility of having the blacksmith craft some silvered restraints as a precaution."</p><p>The lion girl crossed her arms in front and muttered while looking away, "I'm sure I am cured."</p><p>"I rather have proper confirmation that just the words of a relatively new guild member," he rebutted calmly as he pushed his glasses up, "Fortune favors you as we have contacts with a few people who might be able to help. Some healers and druids."</p><p>"Can the druids go into the Feywild?" the fighter suddenly asked, her eyes taking on an eager gleam.</p><p>"I believe so?" stated the lord with a raised eyebrow.</p><p>"I have heard of the place from the tribe shaman," she muttered reverently, "I would like to go there and experience it myself. And perhaps, maybe learn something new I can bring back."</p><p>"I suppose I can arrange that," he replied confidently, leaving little room for doubt.</p><p>"Wow, you're going to a cool place," exclaimed her monk friend, "Don't worry, we'll wait for you to come back before we go on more requests."</p><p>"It would be good to have a break," admitted Lamy, "Taking time for communion would be nice."</p><p>"Ah, I'd like to meet our seniors and maybe learn something from them," said Nene.</p><p>"Same!" agreed the monk.</p><p>"Very good," declared Lord Daiso, "And now, number three. What do we do with your friend here?"</p><p>Aloe gulped when all eyes landed on her. "Erm… can't I stay with them?"</p><p>He shrugged as he leaned back into his chair and said, "Perhaps, while your friend here is gone for the time being. However, what would happen when she returns? The housing here is only for guild members only. Not to mention it would draw too much attention if you show up here as you are. While this may attract people, I rather have able bodies willing to work than nobodies seeking your hand for a one night stand."</p><p>"Ah… true," she conceded in embarrassment, "Surely there could be a solution to this?"</p><p>A rather telling smile appeared on his face when he said, "Well, there is the city's resident demonologist."</p><p>"Oh, sounds good. I can move in with her after," she declared with a smirk.</p><p>"Then it is settled. Our meeting can adjourn for now," declared Lord Daiso, "I will introduce Risu to you and you can depart at her discretion. In the meantime, get to know your seniors. In the future, you may very well be working with them."</p><p>The new party cheered. Things were looking quite bright for them.</p><p><strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. </strong> <strong>Yorokobe shounen, for Holo5 is complete.</strong></p><p>Aloe Mano</p><p>Succubus (still in training)</p><p>College of Glamour Bard</p><p>
  <strong>So, it was around writing chapter 13 that it occurred to me that the fights had been on a little easier than what was expected, even though it was ranked as hard or on the rare side, deadly. So, I began to wonder how to translate player levels to a succubus. And lo and behold, she was still a succubus in training and she shouldn't really have all the benefits of the succubus stat block. Not to mention I forgot her resistance to non-magical weapons from the fights between this chapter and chapter 13. So, I redid a proper stat sheet for her. +1 Dex and +2 Cha racial bonus. Unarmored AC is 13+Dex mod. 60ft. darkvision. 50ft. flying. Abyssal, Infernal, and Common, presumably learned where she came from. Only has resistance to cold, fire, lightning, and poison. Proficiencies in persuasion, deception, and stealth. She has a Claw attack, Etherealness, and Draining Kiss. Charm Person becomes their natural ability (naturally get it) but it either uses your spells slots or needing at least a short rest if you don't have any spell slots. And I stuck her in bard class (level 8) and her college of glamour can be re-flavored to be succubus training instead of fey influence. And gave her the Toughness feat to come close to the HP in the succubus stat block.</strong>
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  <strong>So, any battles past chapter 13 will have to take into account Aloe and will have to be scaled suitably. I think things will only get more interesting from there.</strong>
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  <strong>And that's a wrap. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
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  <strong>PS: edited Charming Personality (the Charm Person part) after realizing that it is the target that needs to roll the dice, not her.</strong>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 6</p>
<p>Things were bright indeed. Risu, a short but very cheeky squirrel girl, almost shook Botan's arm off when they first met. She then pretty much dragged her away to the southern forest to her druidic circle for whatever reason. In Lord Daiso's words, a possible location of a hidden portal to the Feywild.</p>
<p>Lamy spent her time at the healing temple. Taking part in good works was a relaxing thing for her and she especially got along well with the younger acolytes, who saw her as a motherly figure. This brought her closer to the divine and she received more favor, to which she was thankful for. She even took part in a celebration that was held every full moon. It was during that time she got to know of Iofi, master artist and leader of the local artisan's guild.</p>
<p>Nene got to know her bardic seniors. Izuru and Rikka, the lute duo. Doris, mermaid triton and Artia's friend, plays the lyre. And then Moona, flute player and Risu's friend, surprisingly enough. She was taken aback when the duo told her Kira was also a bard, but not a practicing one, who preferred to play the bagpipes to annoy and prank all the other bards in the guild. She was entranced by how much they knew and tried her best to commit everything they told her to memory.</p>
<p>Polka spent her time sparing with the guild master. After revealing that he too was a practitioner of the martial arts, she chased after him to get him to mentor her. At first, he refused and this made her somewhat depressed as mentors such as these were hard to find outside monasteries or temples. That same day, she got drunk and then challenged him, who happened to be at Robel for dinner. It amused him to no end and the next day, he promised to teach her a few things when she got over her hangover.</p>
<p>Aloe spent her time trying to get to know her new friends. While a bit hesitant since she was a fiend, she began to enjoy their company. For once, she had begun to feel a sense of normalcy in her life. The Nine Hells is an ultra-competitive, backstab-happy place. Here, she could just… relax. She liked it. It didn't help with her becoming a better succubus, but she liked it.</p>
<p>Eventually, five days went by like nothing. Botan came back to the guild house on the sixth day. With a frown. She had green tribal markings over her face and her chain mail was decorated with flowers. She headed for the side room and found her party there.</p>
<p>Polka took one look at her, did a spit-take, and said, "Oh my gods, what happened to you?"</p>
<p>"Last day prank by the squirrel," she grumbled as she sat down at the table. As the other party members leaned in to her, she then gave them a weak smile and said, "Well, I'm sort of clear."</p>
<p>"Meaning?" pressed on Lamy.</p>
<p>"Well, the lycanthropy thing isn't doing anything to me," she explained, "I mean, they've never seen Gekko people contract anything like this. Full moon a few days ago? Nothing happened. It's like… it's asleep."</p>
<p>"Oh, oh, maybe your lion blood is sitting on it," quipped the succubus.</p>
<p>She chuckled and said, "Maybe. In any case, I don't have to be chained up or whatever. I'm fine."</p>
<p>"Ha! In that case, let's celebrate with a quest," cheered Nene. The others cheered as well and they walked over to the request board. She picked a random one and brought it over for Miyabi.</p>
<p>"Hmm, are you sure you want to do this?" the clerk asked as he narrowed his eyes. Getting nods all around, he shrugged and said, "Do you know where you hunt giant toads?"</p>
<p>Shaking heads.</p>
<p>"In the swamps."</p>
<p>Cringing faces.</p>
<p>"And it's also crocodile mating season, so there will be a high chance of meeting one," he explained further, "So unless you get lucky and one decides to hop out of the swamp and on the road, I highly doubt you will be able to just find one giant toad. Not to mention you have to hack off their legs."</p>
<p>"Even if you say that… we are still gonna do it," insisted the lion girl, "If it's a challenging one, even better."</p>
<p>A wry smile appeared on his face as he replied, "Very well. Don't say I didn't warn you."</p>
<hr/>
<p>The party found themselves outside a tavern right outside the swamp. Called the Toad's Stool, it was set up to house travelers passing through the swamp.</p>
<p>"Alright, so some giant toads were sighted nearby but they have been known to swim deeper in the swamp. So… anyone having second thoughts?" asked Nene as she came out.</p>
<p>"If we did, we wouldn't be here," said Botan with a confident grin.</p>
<p>"Hng… as long as I don't fall in, I'll be fine," muttered Polka as she looked at the swampy water with dread.</p>
<p>"We might have to wade in. Who knows when we could find a giant toad?" stated Lamy, prompting a groan from the monk.</p>
<p>"Well, I'll be disappearing now. I'll let you know if there's anything ahead," Aloe told them as she popped into the Ethereal Plane.</p>
<p>"Alright, let's go. The bartender told me about a path that could get us near the toads," said the bard as she motioned them to follow, "The sooner we do this… well, Polka doesn't need to wash out so much swamp out of her hair."</p>
<p>"Please don't remind me!" pleaded the monk as the rest followed after.</p>
<p>They followed the path for a while but when it reached late afternoon the path had disappeared and they were now trudging through soggy marsh with lots of water pockets everywhere. They dare not take a chance of stepping in them for fear of being deeper than expected. Everywhere they went, water seemed to seep out of the ground and the level slowly rose until it went past their feet while still being below their knees.</p>
<p>"Where in the world are those giant toads..." grumbled Polka as she glanced around. Everyone was doing the same, trying to keep an eye out for crocodiles.</p>
<p>"I'm sure we will find one soon," assured Nene as she pushed a branch away. Only, she noticed an eye open and blinked at her. A reptilian eye.</p>
<p>"Croc!" she shouted as a large jaw lunged and snapped empty air a hair's breadth away. An arrow whistled over its head while a dart pierced through its thick hide. More crocs lunged out of the water after Botan and Lamy, who dodged, while the one that started this off clamped its jaws on the bard's leg. Two more appeared, coming from another pool of water and were scrambling after the party.</p>
<p>"Get off," she shouted as she kicked its nose, prompting it to let go, and then stabbed the same part with her rapier.</p>
<p>"Woohoo!" she heard Aloe whooping. Glancing to her side, she saw the succubus landing while clawing the croc that was attacking Lamy. She then flew up into the air, hovering above its snapping jaws.</p>
<p>"Good idea!" cheered Polka as the monk suddenly jumped on the croc she was battling, landing with both feet. Jumping off the side, she then punched it in the side of the head. It writhed for a few seconds and then lay still in the swamp water.</p>
<p>The crocs continued to attack, all of them converging on the cleric's position. The half-snow elf was a tough girl; smacking crocs in the nose and the head with her shield, she was able to get them to release their hold and retaliate with her mace. Aloe struck from the air and always danced away from getting bitten. Botan was able to get away from the front and shot arrows on the beasts. Nene just kept up the pace, getting in with Lamy and stabbing the crocs in the side. One by one, the crocs were taken care of.</p>
<p>As the last one died, courtesy of getting brained by the cleric, she said, "Is everyone alright?"</p>
<p>"We're alright… what about you? You got bitten so many times," asked the bard with concern.</p>
<p>"...I just got bitten twice," she deadpanned as she uncorked her healing potion and downed it.</p>
<p>"Hmm, I wish we could bring these crocodiles back to sell off," muttered the fighter.</p>
<p>"Aah, bad enough we have to hunt giant toads," groaned the monk, "Please don't drag crocs back to the city too."</p>
<p>"Hmm, oh well, the toad's legs would be heavy enough," mused the lion girl, dropping the matter entirely.</p>
<p>"Well, I'll be disappearing now. Before you got attacked though, I did notice a few toads to the south. Try searching there," pointed out the succubus before going back to the Ethereal Plane.</p>
<p>They continued on their search for the giant toads in the directed area. Luckily, it didn't take long for them to hear loud croaking. In the distance, they spotted two giant toads on a small island south of their position. Slowly, they got nearer, just outside their jumping range, hidden by the brush.</p>
<p>"So… how do you want to do this?" asked Nene.</p>
<p>"Well, I can use one of my new arrow enchantments," spoke up Botan as she pulled one from her quiver.</p>
<p>"Ooh, sounds cool," whispered Polka in awe.</p>
<p>"Alright. Whenever you're ready," agreed the bard as the rest of the party gave the fighter some space.</p>
<p>The lion girl took a deep breath and nocked the arrow. Quietly muttering some arcane chant, the arrow took on a silvery sheen centered around the head. She released and the arrow flew true and lodged in its head. The sheen exploded and the toads flinched. Their heads swiveled straight for her. Nene took this chance to throw her dagger. As the toads moved and hopped towards them, the dagger sank into the slimy flesh. Polka's dart missed, just as more crocs suddenly burst out of the swamp water.</p>
<p>"I think your arrow attracted more than just toads!" shouted the monk worriedly as Lamy grasped her amulet and called for blessings upon them.</p>
<p>Aloe joined in the fight as well, repeating what she did in the previous battle. "Ugh, this is just ew," she exclaimed as she flew up after sinking her claws in a toad's skin.</p>
<p>"Firing another one," shouted the fighter as she retreated back and shot another silvery arrow. It struck the toad's leg and as the sheen exploded, the area around it indented and warped as the force exploded outwards, slamming into both toads and one of the crocodiles.</p>
<p>Not to be deterred, both toads caught up to them, biting down on Lamy and Polka. The monk managed to wrench her arm free and pummeled the offending beast in the stomach a few times before somersaulting away. Meanwhile, the crocs got distracted, more than half of their number converging over the hovering succubus while the remaining one went after the cleric. The half-snow elf slammed her mace into the battered toad's head and ran to rejoin the party as the large beast fell over backward.</p>
<p>Aloe, unperturbed by the crocodiles, flew over and killed the one that went ahead. Flying back into the air, she warned, "There's three more crocs here. Better kill that toad fast."</p>
<p>"We are!" retorted Botan as she sent a normal shot at the remaining toad, the projectile sinking in its face. The Nene's rapier sank in its stomach next and finally, Polka ended it when her punch went into the same point, killing it as she ripped her fist out. At the same moment, Lamy sent a frost ray at the approaching crocodiles.</p>
<p>"Alright! Let's finish this!" cheered on the succubus as she made hurried swipes which missed as she flew past the crocs.</p>
<p>The fighter let loose another bursting arrow that blasted the reptiles with intense pressure. The bard and monk charged forward, the rapier piercing one in the head and the other getting a foot slammed into it. The fennec fox girl continued, the momentum swinging her body forward as she drove her other foot into the last croc. The cleric finished it off with a ray of frost, the reptile getting frosted over from inside and out.</p>
<p>"Yahoo! We did it!" exclaimed Polka happily.</p>
<p>She then yelped in pain when Lamy smacked her on the head and scolded, "You almost died to a toad, silly fox." Aloe just giggled.</p>
<p>"Here, drink this," said Nene as she offered the last healing potion as the monk muttered her apologies and thanks.</p>
<p>"Hey, when you're done, start helping me figure out how to bring these toad's legs out of the swamp," called out Botan as she began her cursory examination of the bodies.</p>
<p>After a brief discussion, the fighter cut through the meat and exposed the joint between the body and the leg, making use of the bard's dagger. Then, the cleric will freeze the joint until they could shatter it. Afterwards, it was a matter of tying up the legs and picking out a sturdy branch out of the swamp to carry them with. Botan and Nene ended up being chosen to carry their spoils; three legs, as the one that the fighter shot was too damaged by the wound, or so she said.</p>
<p>"I hope we can make it back to the swamp-side tavern before the sun disappears on us," said the bard as they hefted the branch up, "It's already evening."</p>
<p>"I hope so too," admitted the fighter, "I wouldn't want to be caught here at night."</p>
<p>"Stop, there's danger up ahead," warned Aloe as she popped out of etherealness, "There's a group of crocodiles up ahead. A few of them are fighting. I'm guessing mating stuff."</p>
<p>"Huh, so is there a way around?" asked Lamy.</p>
<p>"Luckily, I checked before coming back, so there is," the succubus informed them, "Going around the left side will take us near the edge of the swamp… but we will have to go through a crocodile nesting area. Going around the right will bring us near a moderately webbed area. I couldn't tell how many or what sort of spiders are there, but I would expect the worst as well."</p>
<p>Both didn't seem like very good options. However, the spider route seemed the least harmful, so they went with that. That brought the question of dealing with the spiders. It was decided that they try to toe the precarious line of going between where the spiders could sense them and the crocodiles would be attracted to them. Both were not favorable, but they were a lot more willing to take on giant spiders than a pack of crocodiles. So, to the left path they went. It took awhile and the sun sank lower and lower. It was late evening, a time where some creatures become more active. That included spiders.</p>
<p>It was Nene that thought she heard some rustling from some nearby trees. She shushed the party and motioned to walk quietly. Then, Polka also heard the faint rustling of leaves and whispered out a warning. They slowly dropped their spoils and drew their armaments warily, preparing for a fight.</p>
<p>Another shudder shook a tree. The fighter and the bard reacted first, the burst arrow and the dagger going into different trees. Very loud chittering came out from them as the blast shook some spiders out of them. The battle was only beginning.</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello, readers. Today, three of our friends get their sub-classes</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>After some chatting time with her senpai, Nene delves into Lore.</strong>
</p>
<p>Nene Momosuzu</p>
<p>Lore Bard</p>
<p>
  <strong>After some time in the Feywild, Botan learns some magic to incorporate in her archery.</strong>
</p>
<p>Botan Shishiro</p>
<p>Arcane Archer</p>
<p>
  <strong>Poka becomes even more of a clown than before</strong>
</p>
<p>Polka Omaru</p>
<p>Drunken Master Monk</p>
<p>
  <strong>Ah, and to try out their new abilities, they go on a quest into the swamplands. </strong>
  <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 7</p><p>"Make this quick or there might be more!" called out Aloe as she swooped down on one giant wolf spider as Lamy beseeched her goddess for more blessings.</p><p>This didn't exactly happen. Instead, the problem was the paralytic poison that the spiders use. And when they came at the party en masse, the ones in front got the brunt of it. Lamy and Nene were the first two to collapse under the spider venom. It didn't help that the giant spiders in the trees started shooting globs of webbing at the surviving members.</p><p>"Argh," yelped Polka as her legs got entangled by the webbing.</p><p>Feeling that her burst arrow wouldn't do well in this situation, Botan leaped into the fray, clawing and scratching the giant wolf spiders. Aloe continued to swoop down from the air, her dive bombing becoming very effective against them. Two of the giant wolf spiders were taken out, the other two moved on to attack the fighter and the monk. Then, one of the giant spiders in the tree dropped to the ground and started crawling over to them, while the other continued trying to hit the flying succubus with its webbing.</p><p>"Gah! Go away!" the monk shouted as she punched the spider biting her into the water. The fighter roared as she tried killing off the last giant wolf spider with the succubus' help. While the other spider dropped down to skitter over, the first one to drop down joined in the fight and attacked her.</p><p>Polka squirmed as she tried to get out of the webbing but failed. Meanwhile, Botan finished off the giant wolf spider and tried taking on the giant spider that attacked her, but it sank its fangs into her neck and paralyzed her as well.</p><p>"Botan!" shouted the monk as she punched the other giant spider in the face, smashing past the carapace and through the top of its head. As it writhed for a few seconds before collapsing, she renewed her attempts to escape the webbing.</p><p>"Watch out, Polka," shouted Aloe as she did another dive by.</p><p>The monk listened and twisted out of the way from the giant spider's fangs. Luckily, that twist was the needed leverage for her to rip herself away from the webs and in her renewed fervor, slammed a flurry of blows on its face. They traded blows while Aloe kept up clawing its back and abdomen sections. They went on for several bouts, with very few punches landing as it kept twisting around and splitting its attention between trying to web down the succubus and biting her, Eventually, after a grueling slog, Aloe landed the final blow as she got in between its legs and dug deep enough for her claws to perforate something important. As she flew to the sky, it thrashed around for a moment before flipping on its back and dying.</p><p>Polka let out a sigh of relief as she fell on her back, the soft ground minorly cushioning her drop. Meanwhile, the succubus checked on the others and was relieved to find that they were still alive, albeit with shallow breaths.</p><p>"Ha... that was too much!" the monk groaned out loud, "I wanna get out of the swamp already! No more crocs! No more spiders! Argh!"</p><p>"Quiet down and help me carry them," the succubus hissed at her, "You want to attract more spiders?"</p><p>She carried the toad's legs and Nene while the monk carried Lamy and Botan, over their shoulders. This slowed them down quite a bit, as Aloe was not used to this, and the cleric's and fighter's armor were quite heavy. It was now twilight and it was getting very hard to see. They did eventually find the path, thanks to the succubus, but they still had a ways to go before reaching the tavern. It was then they noticed a strange ethereal glow appearing in the middle of the path.</p><p>"Oh, for crying out loud, why am I not surprised?" groaned Aloe.</p><p>"...Ah. Is it a ghost or something?" asked Polka, a shiver going down her spine.</p><p>"Well, I would expect a lot of careless people dying here," the former muttered as they got closer.</p><p>The ghost had long, beautiful hair and would have looked quite beautiful when she was alive. Her clothes were ragged and torn, a large chunk of her side missing as if bitten by a crocodile. She noticed the party and floated over. Her solid white orbs in her eye sockets looked them over and pointed to the side of the path. The two conscious party members looked at each other in confusion.</p><p>"Urm, are you asking for help?" asked the monk.</p><p>The ghost opened her mouth and a very faint, whispery voice came out, Barely anything could be made out except, "...help..."</p><p>The two looked at each other again. Aloe shrugged. Polka decided to see what the ghost needed help with and carefully placed Botan and Lamy on the ground before heading in the direction pointed out by the ghost. She then floated over a point in the swamp and looked at the monk. She made a face but still waded out to the ghost. She was a little surprised when her foot bumped into something. Reaching down with both hands, she was a little horrified to feel a skeleton down in the muck. She looked up and noticed the ghost nodding. Continuing to feel around, she felt something metal around the hand bones. Taking it off the finger bone, she pulled it out and under the green strands of plant matter, she could see a silver band gleaming under the ghost's glow.</p><p>"Is this yours?" she asked softly, looking at the ghost in the eyes. She got a nod.</p><p>"...return...it...Martin..."</p><p>She looked down at the ring, sadness and pity welling up in her heart. "Alright. I can help with this," she answered the ghost. In response, she received a smile coupled with a peaceful look before the ghost faded away.</p><p>Nodding while successfully holding back her tears, she waded back to the path. To her surprise, she found out that the spider venom had run its course and the party was no longer paralyzed.</p><p>"No more swamp missions please," pleaded Lamy, looking quite miserable, "I can still feel them walking over me."</p><p>"Okay..." conceded Nene as she grabbed her aching head.</p><p>"Grr," growled Botan as she punched the ground, "That was pitiful." She then bowed to them and declared, "I am sorry for my disappointing skills. I swear to become better than this."</p><p>"Erm, please get up. There's no need for this," replied Aloe as she pulled the lion girl to her feet, "It's spider venom. You can exactly fight something natural like that."</p><p>"Hng, I still wish I could have protected you all better," the fighter admitted.</p><p>"Well, you're still alive. We're still alive," said the bard assuringly, "As long as we are still alive, we can always improve and do better. Then, we can show the world what we can really do."</p><p>This stunned the fighter for a moment. Then she smiled, "That's true. Thanks, Nene."</p><p>"Yeah, that was a good speech," agreed the succubus. The cleric nodded in agreement.</p><p>"Yup. Now, let's get out of this swamp! I want a bath!" exclaimed the monk.</p><p>As they made their way out of the swamp, Polka informed them about her experience with the ghost. After discussing where to find this Martin character, they arrived at the tavern. The owner somewhat complained about the smell but he told them that there was a woodcutter that sometimes visits the tavern to drink. He lived right next to the east gate of the capital so they couldn't miss it. Thanking him, they made their way back to the city. Thankfully, their torches and the tinderbox didn't get wet, so they made good use of one. With the combined efforts, they made their way back and decided to split up.</p><p>Polka and Lamy ended up in front of the woodcutter's door. Knocking several times, a bearded man opened up and drawled, "What'd ya want? Gods… ya stink..."</p><p>"Erm, we found this in the swamp earlier..." said Polka as she held out her hand with the silver band.</p><p>The man stared at it for a moment before his eyes widened in recognition. "How'd ya find this?" he asked in a hushed tone, carefully picking it up and staring at it intently.</p><p>"Er… you might not believe us, but your wife showed us..." she muttered in reply.</p><p>The man blinked as he stared at her. The two began to feel uncomfortable when he suddenly hugged them, "Thank you. One day, she went out picking mushrooms as usual and never came back. Now I know. Thank you. Thank you."</p><p>The monk didn't know what else to do except return the hug. Soon, he released his hold and said, "Please, wait here." He turned to go inside and they could hear him rummaging for something. After a while, he came back with a small sphere of thick glass and handed it to her, "Here, she may not make use of this anymore. I think… and hope... you can put this to better use than having it collect dust in my home."</p><p>"Hmm, what does it do?" asked Lamy, breaking her silence.</p><p>"Say 'shine' and then 'float' to make it work," he informed them, then he explained with pride, "My wife used to be a cartographer before she settled down. She helped to map out the entire eastern farmlands, you know? Knew every single nook and cranny." Then, his eyes looked forlorn and he said, "Well, thank you for this. Goodbye." And he closed the door.</p><p>The two walked away from the house without a word and headed back to the guild house.</p><p>"That was a nice thing you did," stated Lamy, "You helped to give him closure when he could not find any."</p><p>"Yeah. I'm glad to have helped," Polka replied with a grin.</p><p>Meeting up with the others, they took turns taking their baths before going across the road to have a grand dinner at Robel's. Filled and happy, they turned in for the night, knowing they survived to wake up to another day.</p><hr/><p>Today, they found themselves at the school. Artia had come to find them and asked them to see her teacher, Rushia. They decided to split up again; Botan and Polka retrieving the stuffed head while the others met with the teacher. Thus, the remaining three found themselves outside her class. The door was then opened and several students in robes filed out of the class. As the last one stepped away, they leaned in to peek through the doorway.</p><p>"Ah, you're here. Please enter!"</p><p>Now it was their turn to file in.</p><p>"Hello again. The lion girl isn't with you today?" the pink-haired wizard asked as she sat down at her table and crossed her legs.</p><p>"Ah, she went to get her trophy today with Polka," explained Nene.</p><p>"And what of your new friend?" she asked.</p><p>Aloe curtsied and said, "My name is Aloe Mano. I only recently joined. Please take care of me."</p><p>"I see… well, back to business. I would like to hire your team to retrieve some things," she requested as she picked up a large piece of paper and handed it to them, "The instructions are here as well as a small map of the place."</p><p>The bard took it and read through it at a glance. "Hmm, west of the city?" she murmured.</p><p>"I used to live there," she added, surprising everyone, "I had to leave many books behind. I want you and your team to retrieve them."</p><p>"Ah… I see," mused Nene, "Alright, sure. We'll do it. Although… why didn't you put this through the guild?"</p><p>"Hmm, I rather ask for help from people I've met face to face," she admitted as she shrugged, "Perhaps if you give me a good impression, I might consider sending my future requests to the guild."</p><p>"And what about Artia?" pressed on the bard.</p><p>"She still studies here. Very hardworking girl," she praised, "However, that leaves her very little time to do other things, like go out and experience the world. Perhaps in time, she would, but for now, leave her be. She will do it when she feels she's ready. Perhaps you can coax her out of her shell."</p><p>"Alright… do you need the books immediately?" Nene asked.</p><p>"Hmm… no, not really. You can do it if you should find the time," she stated, "I do hope it will be done by the end of the year though."</p><p>"Okay. Thank you for the request. We will get it done as soon as we are able," promised the bard before leaving the class.</p><p>"Well, I certainly hope so," she replied as they left the room. "I certainly hope so," she repeated again as her thoughts went back to a certain iron flask back in her house.</p><hr/><p>"Wow, it looks amazing," Nene exclaimed as the team met back at the guild house. The lion head looked majestically over its new domain; the side room.</p><p>"Hi, hi, isn't it?" asked Botan rhetorically, grinning from ear to ear, "Too bad we didn't get that owlbear head. Oh well, maybe we'd get something else."</p><p>"BOTAN!"</p><p>A short figure leaped onto the lion girl, causing her to fall flat on the floor. "RISU!" she yelled.</p><p>"Hi, hi," giggled the squirrel girl as she leaped off. Turning to address the rest of the party, she introduced herself jovially, "Hello, I am Risu the dream druid. You must be Botan's friends." Suddenly, a hand pulls her by the ear.</p><p>"Risu, are you pranking people again?" asked a purple-haired girl with faintly-glowing eyes. She wore a black and white costume dress. If one looks a little more closely, you could see a galaxy of stars in her hair.</p><p>"Eeh, no, no, no, Moona. I am not. Let go please!" she pleaded, getting all teary-eyed.</p><p>The glamour bard sighed and released her hold, the squirrel girl rubbing her sore ear. "Sorry for that. This over-excitable child is hard to control sometimes."</p><p>"...it's fine," groaned the archer as she picked herself up.</p><p>"Mmm, let us do a request together," she suggested suddenly, "As compensation."</p><p>The party looked at each other for a moment. Then, Nene asked, "What do you have in mind?"</p><hr/><p>"Ah… alright, seems easy enough," mused Nene.</p><p>The request in question was a hunt for a pack of saber-toothed tigers spotted in the forest. They had to travel to a village south of the capital and meet the village leader there. So now, they found themselves walking down the road to Solena, the village that sent out the request. It was a calm, peaceful, late morning. They hired a cart and reached the village with very little trouble. Then, while Nene went to meet with the village head, Lamy spent time chanting and waving her hands over Risu, Moona, and Polka.</p><p>"There. Hopefully, the goddess' blessing protects you," she stated as she finished.</p><p>"I believe with you and Risu, we will surely survive whatever obstacle gets in our way," the aasimar bard replied confidently.</p><p>"I'll be sure not to let you down," the half-snow elf answered with a smile.</p><p>"Alright, everyone, let's go!" called out Nene as she approached, "The head said the pack was sighted east from here. The lead hunter of the village was also there and he mentioned that there were four sets of prints."</p><p>"Hmm, I think we can take on four," mused Botan, who then smirked, "Ah, another chance for a trophy."</p><p>"I think you're the only one who is set on trophies," snarked Polka with a matching smirk.</p><p>"They represent our crowning achievements. Of course I'm set on them," defended the lion girl.</p><p>"Okay, enough arguing. Let's go hunt some saber-tooths," urged on the lore bard, "...or do you call them saber-teeth?"</p><p>"Pretty sure it's saber-tooths," replied the glamour bard as they followed after her, Aloe popping into the Ethereal Plane first.</p><p>The moment the party stepped into the forest, Risu took point and led them through the forest.</p><p>
  <strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. The party takes care of the spiders... and Polka helps a ghost. And honestly, this was the first time that I was worried I have to re-run the simulation as there was too much paralysis going around, even with Aloe around. Then, Rushia asks them to help her out a little. It will be a familiar place. And now, two more members of the adventurers guild.</strong>
</p><p>Risu Ayunda</p><p>Squirrel Kemonomimi</p><p>Circle of the Dream Druid</p><p>
  <strong>A very tricky and cheeky druid who likes cute things.</strong>
</p><p>Moona Hoshinova</p><p>Protector Aasimar</p><p>College of Glamour Bard</p><p>
  <strong>Risu's close friend. At times serious, but hides a kind-hearted side that loves her friends all the same... even if they are very mischievous.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>And thus, we go hunting for saber-tooth tigers. Time for more trophies and strange bedfellows. </strong>
  <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 8</p>
<p>Light filtered through the shady undergrowth, the flickering lighting up the place beautifully. The sounds of birds and insects filled the air intermittently as they passed through.</p>
<p>"You know, I can see why Risu likes staying in the forest," spoke up Moona after a while, "It is quite peaceful. I can only imagine how much more it would be in the circle of hers."</p>
<p>"Hmm, hmm, I can support that," agreed Lamy with a serene smile, "For once, we travel in a pretty place."</p>
<p>"Maybe-" started Polka before shrieking in fright when three constrictors landed on her, the cleric and Botan.</p>
<p>"Don't move!" shouted Botan immediately as the snakes coiled around their respective landing pads.</p>
<p>A large shadow slithered out of the undergrowth and a huge version of the snakes rose up over them, flicking its tongue in and out of its mouth. Everyone became scared and those without snakes around them pulled out their weapons.</p>
<p>"Stop! Stop!" shouted Risu as she raced up to them, placing herself between the giant snake and the party. Looking at the snake, she started hissing at it. It bobbed its head, whether out of surprise or understanding, nobody could tell. It then hissed back. The back and forth went on for a moment before it turned to look at the other snakes and hissed louder. The three snakes uncoiled themselves, slowly slithered off their bodies, and went down their legs, slithering into the underbrush. The giant snake hissed one last time before mirroring the other snakes and slithered away as well.</p>
<p>"Ha... that went well?" muttered Moona once the snakes vanished, "So… what did it say, Risu?"</p>
<p>"Hmm, I asked it to let us pass… then I asked if it saw any tigers..." muttered the dream druid as she tapped her sprig of mistletoe on her cheek, "Or did I ask it the other way around… anyway, it didn't notice any saber-tooths, but it directed me to a cave that might be where they live. It never went inside so it doesn't really know."</p>
<p>"Alright, lead the way," gestured Nene.</p>
<p>The squirrel girl nodded and led the party there. They didn't have to go that far. It was a large entrance, big enough for something large to walk through upright.</p>
<p>"Hey, want me to scout out inside?" asked Polka with a grin, "I can be pretty quiet when needed."</p>
<p>"Well… you are kinda stealthy… I don't see why not," agreed the lore bard.</p>
<p>"Most fortunate to have this kind of help," stated the glamour bard with approval.</p>
<p>"Alright, wish me luck," cheered the monk as she slipped into the shadows. However, after several seconds, she hurriedly came out, looking quite pale. "Umm, no saber-tooths in there," she told them.</p>
<p>"What was inside?" asked Botan curiously.</p>
<p>"Erm… not sure if I should say," she muttered.</p>
<p>"I am sure it would not do any harm saying it," stated Lamy, "Just tell us."</p>
<p>"Okay… I saw two owlbears in-" she started hesitantly.</p>
<p>Botan's eyes immediately lit up and the archer exclaimed, "Let's go!"</p>
<p>"What!? No!" shouted Polka as she tried to hold the lion girl back, "We are here to hunt saber-tooths, not owlbears! If we fight the owlbears now, we might not be strong enough to fight the others. Besides, we can always come back here later. Maybe after we rested."</p>
<p>The archer stared at her for a moment and as the light of battle in her eyes dimmed, she replied reluctantly, "...Fine. But we better get back here after we finish the request. This is a trial that-" She trailed off when she looked over the monk's shoulder. She spotted two gleaming eyes looking out of the cave entrance, illuminated by the sunlight from outside. A large outline could barely be seen. One, very loud screech later, two owlbears ran out of the cave with enraged screeches.</p>
<p>"Nope," murmured Moona as she ducked around a tree. Lamy did the same, but not before casting out a blessing over the others. That did little to help as Nene and Polka got mauled by the owlbears.</p>
<p>"Look this way and fight me!" roared Botan as she waved her arms as she moved back, while Aloe popped out of the Ethereal Plane. When the owlbears ignored her, she shot at them, the arrow grazing the shoulder of one of them. She was still ignored.</p>
<p>"Take this!" Polka shouted as blood streamed down her face as she tried to take on the owlbear that mauled the lore bard, punching it in the stomach area.</p>
<p>"Let the moon grant its aid," called out Risu as she drew a circle in the air with her sprig of mistletoe. The light of the moon then shone on the owlbear that attacked the bard, slowly increasing with intensity.</p>
<p>Moona, aghast at what happened, called out a healing note to Nene, while Lamy prayed aloud, "My goddess, please lend me your aid to protect my friends." A spectral sword of elven-make materialized and swung down on the owlbear, while she sent a ray of frost at its head. As it flinched, the sword missed.</p>
<p>The owlbear in front of the bard screeched loudly as the radiance of the moon burned through its body. Both of them tried to maul Polka, the first one missing and the second one striking as she dodged the first.</p>
<p>"Polka!" shouted the bard as she saw the monk fall by her side. Getting up, she skewered the owlbear in front of her in the stomach. Aloe then swooped down on the other owlbear, clawing the back of its head while Botan shot the first one in the neck.</p>
<p>"The fires of renewal will burn it all away," chanted Risu as she produced a flickering flame in her hand and threw it at the nearest owlbear, scorching its feathery fur.</p>
<p>The glamour bard turned the healing note to the monk while the half-snow elf cleric continued pressuring the first owlbear with spirit weapon and ice. It screeched loudly as the moonbeam continued to scorch it, and it mauled the one that got up to attack it. The other owlbear ignored Nene and tried swiping after the flying succubus.</p>
<p>Aloe blew a raspberry at the second owlbear while she clawed the head of the first as she dive-bombed it and flew out of range. The lion girl shot that one in the neck again while the fennec fox monk jumped to her feet.</p>
<p>"Haiya!" she shouted as she aimed a jumping kick at its head. It leaned back, the kick missing, but she smirked and with a twist, she turned it into a jumping roundhouse. The ball of her foot slammed right in its throat. It gurgled and collapsed backward under its weight. As she landed on her feet, the druid then mystically moved the moonbeam over the remaining owlbear. She then produced another flame in her hand and threw it at the monstrosity.</p>
<p>Moona moved the healing not back to Nene. Lamy turned her ministrations to the other owlbear while it still tried to reach out and swipe the succubus, its feathered fur burning and scorched by flame, moon, and frost.</p>
<p>"Just go down already!" shouted Nene as she got up again. She joined the rest of the party in raining it with attacks. Magic, arrow, and blade made it bloodied and burned. It was still able to swipe Polka one last time before going down to the lore bard's rapier. She then quickly sang out the note of healing, the regenerative aura washing over the monk and closing her more grievous wounds.</p>
<p>"Ha…. I don't want to do that too many times," the fennec fox girl grumbled as the lore bard helped her up.</p>
<p>"...you still looked really cool when you kicked that owlbear," spoke up the druid as she pointed at said monstrosity.</p>
<p>"Eh… I guess?" the monk admitted embarrassedly, unsure on what to say to that.</p>
<p>"Trophy, trophy, trophy," hummed Botan happily as she examined the bodies to see which head was in a better condition.</p>
<p>Suddenly, a screech sounded out, coming from the cave. It was not as loud as the other owlbears, but more like a low warbling. Everyone was on guard and all eyes were drawn to the entrance. Seconds ticked by and a faint scratching was heard. Then, a much smaller version of an owlbear walked out haltingly and then clumsily fell down. The cub then warble-screeched again while looking around.</p>
<p>"OH, MY GODS! SO CUTE!" exclaimed Risu as she suddenly raced forward and pounced. The young cub squirmed as it was hugged from behind, away from its already sharp claws.</p>
<p>"Ah, yes, go ahead and hug the baby that can claw your eyes out," snarked Aloe as everyone else watching giggled at the druid's antics.</p>
<p>"Oh, oh, no," the lore bard muttered after realizing something, "Did we kill its parents?"</p>
<p>"Very likely," the glamour bard stated, somewhat confirming it, "Do remember that they tried killing us."</p>
<p>"I know… but… will it survive out in the wild without its parents?" she asked.</p>
<p>"It can't. That's why-" was the reply but was interjected by the one hugging the cub.</p>
<p>"That's why it's coming with me!" exclaimed Risu, "I will give it all my love and care, and it will stay with me forever!" The owlbear cub just squawked and continued to struggle.</p>
<p>"Well… I guess that's something?" she admitted questioningly.</p>
<p>After some discussion, they decided to rest a little while to help tend to Polka's and Nene's wounds. Moona decided to aid in accelerating their healing as well, lacing a song with healing notes, singing of the return of life after the end of winter. It was admiringly melodic and after she was done, they clapped. Several extra pairs of hands joined the claps and a lot of screeching and hooting. Before they knew it, a troop of apes clambered down from the trees and started jumping and chattering around the glamour bard.</p>
<p>"Er, what is..." she stammered, unable to find the words to describe this.</p>
<p>"Ah! Hold on!" requested Risu as she grasped her sprig of mistletoe, "I used this spell earlier in a hurry. Now that they are acting friendly, we can do this normally." She hurriedly pushed the owlbear cub into Botan's hands, who held it at arm's length.</p>
<p>She then started waving the mistletoe and chanted in a mystical manner as she walked around the troop of apes, lightly touching their heads as she passed them by. The commotion they stirred up before lessened as the apes stood still and looked at her in wonder as each of them was touched with it. Once she was done, she then started making light chattering noises as she communicated with the apes. The noise level then went back to normal and they made a lot of noise. Eventually, the troop clambered back up the trees with the druid waving after them.</p>
<p>"Alright, they can't really tell the difference between saber-tooths and normal tigers, but they did see some cat-like hunters south of here," she informed them.</p>
<p>Amazed by what they saw, the party continued their hunt. Before going, Botan requested that they return to this place to harvest an owlbear head. After they reluctantly agreed, the party proceeded to move southward. It was now evening and the bright orange sun created more shadows as it made its journey down. However, it was only ten minutes into the trek when Botan's ears twitched as she heard something slinking around and disturbing dead leaves.</p>
<p>"Something is stalking us," she announced, causing everyone to stop in their tracks.</p>
<p>"I thought so," muttered Lamy as she grasped her amulet, "Is it the saber-tooths?"</p>
<p>"I can't really tell," the lion girl admitted as everyone formed a circle, all pairs of eyes in every direction, "But I bet that they are hungry and are on the hunt. Let's hope they are desperate enough to-"</p>
<p>"I see one!" called out Nene as she threw her dagger, the weapon ending up embedded in a tree instead of an enemy.</p>
<p>"Too soon!" shouted back Botan while Lamy called for blessings.</p>
<p>Tigers charged at them, targeting the bards and the monk. They were not saber-tooths, but that didn't make their claws hurt any less. Nene and Polka were between two of them, pushed back to back, while the third one knocked Moona off her feet. Thankfully, she rolled to the side and avoided getting bitten. She quickly got to her feet and attacked with her daggers. At the same time, the monk lashed out with a kick to the head. Risu defaulted to throwing fire while Botan used her claws.</p>
<p>"Under pressure, walls closing down on me, surrounding my life, looking down on me," Nene hurriedly started singing, the magic in the words prompting roars of pain from the tigers, as she didn't have time to use her lute. It was a general melee from then on. The cleric and the succubus aided the monk with her tiger. The archer helped with the lore bard's tiger and the druid lit the glamour bard's one on fire. It didn't take long before the monk's tiger died and the other two ran away with grievous injuries.</p>
<p>"Well, those were not the tigers we're looking for," stated Botan with a frown, "I guess we have to continue looking."</p>
<p>"Moona, Moona, can you help me feed Baloo while I heal Nene?" asked Risu as she pointed to the owlbear cub, who was pawing the tiger body and sniffing the wounds, "Just cut off strips for him to gobble."</p>
<p>"...okay..." relented the aasimar bard reluctantly.</p>
<p>"So, what should we do now?" asked Lamy as the druid rubbed her glowing green hands over the lore bard's wounds.</p>
<p>"Maybe retrace our steps?" suggested the archer, "Maybe… well, the dead owlbears might draw them in. I don't think anyone could turn down free meat. Plus, I still want my trophy."</p>
<p>"Good idea, Botan," praised Nene with a smile.</p>
<p>After the druid's owlbear cub had its fill, they retraced their steps back to the cave. The evening had just passed on to twilight at that point and there was thankfully still enough light to see. As they reached the vicinity of the cave, Polka volunteered to scout ahead. With everyone in agreement, she dashed on ahead. A few minutes later, she came back looking excited.</p>
<p>"They're there! The saber-tooths," she announced, "Four of them. They're surrounding one of the owlbears and busy eating."</p>
<p>"Yosh… alright, we do this quietly. We will sneak up on them," planned the archer, "I will start it off with a burst arrow. When they are coming at me, take them out from the side with your attacks. Then, by the time they reach us, they should be weakened enough to finish them off."</p>
<p>Everyone agreed that it was a good plan and they set out. As they neared the area, they took up positions and waited for Botan. Carefully, she nocked the arrow and pulled it back, the projectile taking on a silvery sheen. Upon release, it streaked through the air like a bolt of lightning, striking the first saber-tooth and exploding in a burst of energy. The beasts flinched and after shaking it off, charged straight at the archer. That same saber-tooth took on the burnt of magic and projectiles being thrown at it. At the same time, Nene started singing with lute accompaniment, the magic in the song causing a loud ringing in the saber-tooth's ears.</p>
<p>With a yell, Moona's eyes gained an unearthly glow and a pair of luminous, incorporeal wings sprouted out of her back. The moonbeams and frost rays continued to make their mark.</p>
<p>"Ha!" Polka shouted, taking the chance to dart in and land a flurry of blows on the already battered saber-tooth and somersaulting out of the way of its claws, landing next to the archer, who sent another bursting arrow. Aloe swooped in to do the same.</p>
<p>All that attention it received caused it to run away, but the other three piled onto Botan and Polka, the archer deftly dodging their claws but the monk wasn't so lucky. She only survived thanks to Lamy's timely healing.</p>
<p>It then devolved into the fennec fox and the lion's efforts to draw the saber-tooth's attention while the others wailed on them. Moona joined in the fray, mimicking the succubus' tactics. One by one they died. One tiger tried to fight back; it leaped away and pounced onto Botan, grounding her and biting her arm, drawing grunts from her.</p>
<p>"Argh, get off me!" she roared as she head butted its nose. It roared in annoyance and leaped back.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, this allowed the other saber-tooth tiger to sink its teeth into her shoulder, prompting her to yell out in pain. Once again, she survived thanks to the cleric's intervention, her magic knitting up the most grievous of wounds.</p>
<p>"Quickly, they shouldn't last much longer now!" shouted Moona as she landed, carving out a saber-tooth's flank before flying up again.</p>
<p>And they did. With several close calls, the battle was won.</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. So... about that hunt. As we can see, knowing how to speak to animals is a good thing. You always want to have a squirrel with you to help you find your way in the jungle. She can also help to pacify baby owlbears. Hmm... wait, owlbears. Much pain. Avoidable by flying. If you can't fly, maintain distance. If all fails... it's been nice knowing you.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>And thus, the hunt for saber-tooth tigers comes to a close. Time for Botan to get yet another trophy... a more expensive one. </strong>
  <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 9</p>
<p>"Well… she sounds… really, really, sad..." stated Polka as she watched Botan shout, groan and moan at the state of the bodies. The heads of the owlbear corpses were not spared by the saber-tooths. Even the least damaged one had gauges and teeth marks all over it.</p>
<p>"Well, we have the saber-tooths tied up," stated Nene as she hefted it up with Moona holding up the other end of the branch, "Let's get back to the village and get our reward."</p>
<p>In the end, Botan decided on carrying the least damaged head and skillfully carved it off, with help of course. And so, the group trekked back to Solena with a few extras in tow. They dropped off the dead bodies at the hunting lodge and received their reward from the village head. Risu refused the gold, saying she lived off the land and didn't really need it. So, the reward was split five ways. Then, as they made their way back to the capital by cart, Risu parted ways with them, stating that she wanted to bring Baloo to the circle and start training him there.</p>
<p>"So what are you going to do now?" asked the aasimar as they departed from the stables. It was already late at night and they were very lucky not to get accosted on the way back.</p>
<p>"Well, we are heading straight for the school to preserve this for tomorrow. I don't think Botan is willing to wait any longer," stated the lore bard as she motioned to the now antsy archer.</p>
<p>The former giggled and said, "In that case, go ahead. I'll let Mister Miyabi know about this."</p>
<p>"Okay, thanks a lot," the latter replied as they parted ways.</p>
<p>Botan became a hundred gold poorer that night.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The next day, a short visit to the tannery revealed the cost of stuffing the head of the owlbear.</p>
<p>"Oh, my gods… that's expensive," muttered Botan as she paled at the price. A full two hundred gold.</p>
<p>"Well, even if the head isn't too damaged, the gnawed and gouged parts have to be restored and that itself will be expensive," stated the lady at the counter, "Plus, it is quite rare to find such a beast like how you described. It will take quite a long time to restore it to a presentable condition."</p>
<p>"I suppose..." she admitted. Turning to the others, she asked, "Umm… eheh… can you guys help?"</p>
<p>"I suppose I can help," stated Lamy with a frown, "But… next time, you should try and raise the proper funds yourself. You are lucky that you will be owing us instead of other unscrupulous people."</p>
<p>After contributing and pooling their resources, they paid for the stuffing services. They left after topping up on ammunition. They then stopped by the leatherworkers store, where Nene traded in her leathers for studded leathers. After that, they headed to the herbalist for more healing potions. They finally stopped by the guild house and met up with Miyabi at the counter.</p>
<p>"Hello!" he greeted with a smile, "Moona submitted the report last night. So, what will it be today?"</p>
<p>"Anything simple today?" asked Nene, "Escorts or something?"</p>
<p>"Well… I guess there are always that," he mused as he pointed to the board, "I think there are a few on the board."</p>
<p>They wandered over and looked over it. Two others were at the board as well. One was a handsome blonde in full plate armor and the other had lightning bolts crackling in dark blue hair wearing yellow and brown robes. They picked one request and moved out, only pausing the wave at the guild clerk. Eventually, Polka picked one out, brought it over to Miyabi, and asked as she waved it at him, "Hey, what's a cockatrice?"</p>
<p>He shrugged and replied, "I'm afraid I don't know. Perhaps you can check it out at the library in the school."</p>
<p>"Aah, okay!" quipped the monk.</p>
<p>"Huh, let's go then," said Nene.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Ah, welcome," greeted the lady at the counter with a smile, "I am Rosalyn the librarian. How may I help you?" She was clad in blue and white, a large hat of the same colors and a monocle with black rim.</p>
<p>"Hello. I… want to find out about a cockatrice," replied Nene as the party crowded around the counter… minus Aloe, who went ethereal before entering.</p>
<p>"Ah, the bestiary is down that row, letters A to C," she stated as she pointed down one row of shelves, "Do remember to mind your voices when doing research, alright?"</p>
<p>Giving her their thanks, the bard headed down the directed row all the way to the end, where C was. Taking out a few books, she brought them to the table that her party secured for themselves. Together, they poured over them. <em>A hideous hybrid of lizard, bird, and bat. It is about the size of a goose. Any creature bitten by it will be turned to stone by its venom. They are immune to their own venom. They live in lairs and would swarm invaders that try to take them.</em></p>
<p>While reading up on these titbits, Botan was the first to get bored of all this. Looking around, among the students busy going over tomes and parchments, she spotted Artia doing the same. Getting up from her seat, she walked over to the studious ice genasi and sat next to her. She was a bit too into her book to notice. Leaning over, the lion girl noted that this was about the existence of ice elementals.</p>
<p>"Hnn," she sounded.</p>
<p>"Eep!" Artia sounded loudly in shock. Every other student then looked at her for a moment, before going back to their reading material.</p>
<p>"What was that about?" she whispered angrily, her face red with embarrassment.</p>
<p>"The party is looking up cockatrices and I got bored," the lion girl explained with a nonchalant shrug.</p>
<p>The wizard grumbled under her breath and went back to reading. The archer rolled her eyes and left the table. Sliding back to the party's table, she muttered, "Are we done? This is getting unbearable."</p>
<p>Polka smirked as she tossed her book on the table, "Well, we can always go to the hunting shop to find out. Or we can ask Miyabi. It must be on the piece of paper."</p>
<p>"You didn't see what was on it?" asked Nene in surprise.</p>
<p>"Nope."</p>
<p>Lamy sighed. "Let us go back then. I think we got enough information here," she stated as she stood up. The party was in agreement and they made their way back to the guild house to speak with Miyabi.</p>
<p>"Hello again. Are you ready to take the quest?" he asked.</p>
<p>"We are! What did the paper say?" asked the bard.</p>
<p>"Alright. This is a request from the chef in Robel. She wants someone to hunt down some cockatrices," explained the guild clerk, "She wishes to experiment to see if she can make an interesting dish from the meat. As to where to hunt them, she heard that there was a lair of them bordering the southern part of the swamp and the forest."</p>
<p>"Hmm, I guess that sounds good," she mused, "I guess we can go now?"</p>
<p>"Well… it's past lunchtime… go get something to eat before going," he advised them.</p>
<p>"Alright! Thanks, Mister Miyabi!"</p>
<p>"Eh? But I'm too young to be called that," he exclaimed in surprise, to much giggling.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The afternoon turned to evening. They took a lot of time to get to the southern area of the swamp and to search for the lair. No odd noises and no clucking anywhere.</p>
<p>"This is tiresome," spoke up Lamy, "Did the chef get it wrong?"</p>
<p>"Well, she heard about the lair from someone. It should be around here somewhere," reasoned Nene, "Maybe it's further in the forest than around here."</p>
<p>"Maybe," muttered Botan as she scanned the area, "They do hunt for frogs and the like, so they would be near the swamp, but not as near."</p>
<p>"Alright, maybe Aloe can fly over ahead and… what was that?" spoke up Polka.</p>
<p>The party caught an ear of groaning coming from the swamp. A shambling corpse suddenly appeared and was heading towards them. It used to be human, but now had long sharp teeth and claws. Its eye sockets were empty, the organs already rotted away in the swamp.</p>
<p>"Ew, it stinks," exclaimed fennec fox girl as a stray gust of wind blew, her nose wrinkling in disgust. The lion girl looked like she wanted to throw up.</p>
<p>"What a sad state," muttered the cleric, "We must put it to rest once more. Take care of its claws. They can paralyze you."</p>
<p>"Not human anymore… got it," murmured Nene as everyone got ready to fight.</p>
<p>"Feed..." it groaned out, "Claw them... down to the ground..."</p>
<p>Suddenly, hands burst out of the ground… only hands… and skittered towards them.</p>
<p>"Ooh, creepy," shivered Aloe as she took to the air.</p>
<p>"Yeah, no," said Botan and shot a bursting arrow at the ghast and getting it in the shin, the resulting blast slamming into several of the crawling claws and decimating them.</p>
<p>"Yeah! Keep your hands to yourself!" shouted the monk as she followed up and threw a dart at the undead, burying it in the shoulder.</p>
<p>"Eee! Get off!" shouted the half-snow elf as she kicked off a hand that grabbed her leg.</p>
<p>"Feed..."</p>
<p>This let the ghast simply walk up to the cleric and swung its claws. They scraped on the shield, not touching her at all, but its stench made her stomach churl. Nevertheless, she steeled herself and then slammed her mace on the claw that grabbed her.</p>
<p>"Urgh!" groaned the bard as two hands crawled over, jumped up, and punched her stomach. She got over it quickly and stabbed one.</p>
<p>Yet another hand tried to grab the archer, but she dodged to the side. This allowed the succubus to grab it as she swooped down and she tore it apart with her claws. Meanwhile, the lion girl retreated back and shot at the ghast again, this time striking it in the eye socket. As it roared in reaction, the monk tumbled forward. Leaning back, she slammed two punches into its chest. One feint followed by one real punch. She then swerved out of the way from its swipe, tumbling forward and tried to kick another claw, which flattened itself to the ground and avoided the foot. She then tumbled back to her original position.</p>
<p>"Huh, very fancy," praised Aloe as the undead hands continued scratching and punching Nene and Lamy. She then swooped down and tore into another hand with her claws.</p>
<p>"Quite," agreed the cleric calmly as she nicked the ghast in the side of the head as it suddenly lurched past her to go after Botan. Much to her surprise, the undead being froze and then started shambling away as fast as its stiff legs could carry it. "What in the world?" she muttered to herself in surprise, missing the claw she attacked while staring at the retreating ghast.</p>
<p>"Huh, I guess we're winning," stated Nene with a grin, impaling another hand to the ground.</p>
<p>"Hn," sounded the archer as she missed her shot. Polka just shrugged as she kicked the last hand into the swamp.</p>
<p>"It must be falling apart!" shouted Aloe as she flew after it. She swiped at it as she landed, her claws leaving deep grooves into the skin on its back, "After it!"</p>
<p>"No need to say it twice!" replied the bard as she and the cleric chased after it. One dagger to the neck and a ray of frost later, it crumpled to the ground.</p>
<p>"Hn, that was weird," muttered Botan as they retrieved their respective projectiles from the re-deceased body, "I think this means we need to go further into the forest."</p>
<p>Twilight came and went. As it was night time, Polka pulled out her driftglobe and with two words, made it shine brightly as well as float over her. This was quite helpful as they searched further southward. Eventually, they came upon a grassless area that had a raised hill with an opening going into the earth. They could hear a lot of squawking from inside and a little behind the hill.</p>
<p>"I guess we found the lair," stated Polka as she turned to the others.</p>
<p>"Ah… and I think they noticed us already," informed Botan as she pointed at the hill. Five cockatrices loomed over the hill. All five of them suddenly made horrid noises, something between a squawk and a shriek, and charged straight at them. The din brought four more out of the cave and enraged them too.</p>
<p>"Ah, here we go again," sighed Aloe as she took to the sky again.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Hn," the archer sounded as she shot a bursting arrow. It struck its target true and buffeted the other monstrosities, but that little to halt their squawking charge. Polka and Aloe tried to do so as well with darts and dive bombs, but nothing stopped them.</p>
<p>They all converge on the least armored ones, Nene and Polka. They were rained with multiple bites and pecks of their beaks. Lamy tried to bless the bard with a shield spell to protect her but it was useless. One solid bite and she was quickly turned to stone.</p>
<p>"Damn it! Die already!" roared Botan as she let loose another shot, killing one in the throat. The sight of the stone statue made her worry where she shouldn't feel it.</p>
<p>Polka fought back as well, pummeling another down with Aloe's assistance. Then, for whatever reason, the ones attacking the lore bard flew up and swarmed on the succubus, much to her great shock.</p>
<p>"Take this!" shouted Lamy after summoning a knife of ice to her hand. She threw it accurately into one of the monster's bodies, the ice exploding outwards in a nova of frost. It still didn't slow them down.</p>
<p>Botan continued to shoot and Polka continued to fight. The monk dipped and dodged, moving between the twisted creatures, punching and kicking. In the middle of it, Aloe cried out and her petrified form landed on the ground. The archer's heart skipped a beat but thankfully, it didn't break or anything. But, that became a signal to the cockatrices to swarm the monk en-masse.</p>
<p>"By the gods, this is madness!" swore Lamy as she froze one into a block of ice before retreating to Botan's position.</p>
<p>"Madness is right," the archer growled through her gritted teeth as she shot again, Polka succumbing to the poisonous beaks and turning to stone. Her anxiety continued to spike as she realized that there was a chance that they could lose this battle. To her, such a thing was unthinkable, and yet, the possibility was staring at her in the face.</p>
<p>"My goddess, I beseech thine aid!" the half-snow elf chanted as she grasped her amulet with a worried look. A spirit sword materialized as the remaining cockatrices surrounded them. Their armor held their beaks back for a time being, but as the battle wore on it seemed to Botan that their attacks were wearing the cleric down slowly but surely. Her spirits were lifted when she noticed that the ones attacking Lamy had been taken care of, but suddenly, the two remaining cockatrices turned tail and attacked Lamy instead. As if they knew that she was weakened from her fights.</p>
<p>"Get off her, damn monsters!" she roared angrily as she continued shooting at them. They took down one, but the last one got a lucky peck and Lamy was petrified as well.</p>
<p>The fact that she was the last one here and these damn mutated chickens turned all her party… allies… friends… to stone, weight heavily on her. All her anxiety, all her anger, all her rage. She saw red. With the loudest roar she could muster, she shouted to the heavens. Her eyes gained a bright red glow and black streaks akin to whiskers appeared on her face. She tensed her body and like a spring, launched herself at the last one, tearing it into half with her claws.</p>
<p>With a feral growl, she looked around for more enemies. As she searched and found nothing, her heart calmed. She calmed down. Her eyes and face lost their changes. As she got reacquainted with her surroundings, it began to rain. The first few drops wet her ears. She shook her head and hurried to retrieve her shortbow. Her body was still tense as she checked up on her petrified friends. Despair struck her heart as she never did find out how long this state lasted. What if it lasted forever? With this despairing thought, she slunk into the cave to take shelter, absolutely unsure what to do.</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. So... owlbears are very expensive. And here we are, going on another quest. Cockatrices. It seems that a certain phoenix wants to experiment with monster chicken meat. However, this means they have to contend with the chance of petrification. Now, this stone state is said to last 24 hours. Not sure if Botan can stand waiting this long. However, this gave me a chance to unlock Botan's lycanthropy. Her unique transformation I call Feralion. Usable per long rest, she transforms with a bonus action and gains proficiency with her claw and bite attacks. Later down the line, she may get bonus damage and even shorten it to after every short rest. When? That remains to be seen.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Alright everyone, thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 10</p>
<p>The sun was shining. The birds were singing. The plants all around were healthy. The animals were active and about. Risu was taking Baloo along to explore the forest. He had run after a few dormice but only caught one. They found a honeybee hive but it was too high for him to grab. She promised to get him some later. Then, he noticed a rabbit and loped after it as well. As it tried to dig up its hole, the dream druid noticed a strange glow coming from the part of the forest near the swamp.</p>
<p>"Come on, Baloo. Let's go exploring there," she said as she coaxed the owlbear cub to follow her. It warbled, looking a little sad that he couldn't get the rabbit, but he listened as he knew he could always hunt another.</p>
<p>The duo made their way over to the strange glow. She came to a dry, grassless clearing that had a raised hill with an opening going into the earth. The glow came from a floating driftglobe. She gasped as she found the petrified figures of Nene's party. Exclaiming in surprise and concern, she ran over to examine them. She also noticed nine cockatrice carcasses strewn about and guessed what had happened here. She sucked in air through her teeth as she imagined the situation that led to this… and she realized that someone was missing.</p>
<p>"Botan!? Are you there?" she called out, wondering where the archer was. She walked past Baloo, who was busy tearing strips off one of the carcasses and gulping it down.</p>
<p>She got near the cave and noticed an unmoving body sleeping in the entrance. She hurried over and knelt down the lion girl. Her mane and clothes were encrusted with dried earth and face marked with tear tracks. The druid shook her gently and she eventually awoke.</p>
<p>"Risu…? RISU!" yelled out the archer and grabbed her by the shoulders, "Lamy! Nene! The others! Where-"</p>
<p>"Shh, calm down," she shushed as she hugged the dirty lion girl and pat her on the back. When she became calm enough, she asked what happened. After a minute of explaining, she took in a deep breath and said, "I will have to get the elders for this. Can you take care of them until I bring them here?" Getting worried nods, she told the lion girl as she got up, "And sit yourself in the sun. you look horrible. And take that globe back. It's too bright!"</p>
<p>She ran out of the cave and shouted as she passed by, "Baloo, let's go! We need to get help!"</p>
<p>The owlbear cub looked from the carcass, which had almost been stripped clean by that time, and loped after her.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Botan! Thank the gods you're safe!" exclaimed Polka as she jumped over the archer. One by one, the girls were restored from their petrified state by three druid elders from Risu's circle. There was a lot of hugging and saying thanks for saving them from their predicament.</p>
<p>"Well, this is a first," muttered one as he restored the succubus.</p>
<p>"Thank you for helping my friends, Elder Kyshyr," stated the dream druid as she bowed.</p>
<p>"Ah, no thanks is required. The circle exists to help all who require guidance," replied another elder druid with leaves growing in his hair and beard and a pair of short antlers growing from his head. His hand had a firm grasp on his staff that had a glowing green orb wrapped in gnarled, knotted wood.</p>
<p>"Still, wiping out these cockatrices are a bit too extreme," stated the third one, "Thining the flock would probably be the better option."</p>
<p>"Hard to do that when all of them suddenly come after you," muttered Botan with a frown, evidently disagreeing.</p>
<p>"Still-"</p>
<p>"Enough. What's done is done. And I believe the experience is a lesson enough for the young lady here," stated Elder Kyshyr, halting the argument from continuing, "Come, let us return to the circle. I'm sure there are other tasks that need minding."</p>
<p>After seeing Risu, Baloo, and the elders off, they set about gathering the carcasses. Other than the one the owlbear cub feasted on, they got eight overall. Then, with Polka's urging, they searched the cockatrice's lair. Inside, they found nests decorated with silver pieces and small gems. They gathered as much as they could find and then made their way back to the city. By the time they reached Robel's, it was evening.</p>
<p>"Hello. From the guild, right?" greeted the bartender jovially as they approached, "I'm Roberu, owner of Robel's. How can I help?"</p>
<p>"Hello, we are here to talk to the chef. We finished her request," stated Nene during her greeting.</p>
<p>He raised an eyebrow and muttered, "She actually went with it? Hmm." Then, he said aloud, "Well, go on in then. She should be expecting you."</p>
<p>Thanking him, they headed through the door next to the bar and into the kitchen. There, they found the lady with the two hats busy slaughtering and butchering chickens while two other ladies were busy peeling potatoes and cutting vegetables. The lead chef stopped to look at them quizzically while the rest continued on with their jobs.</p>
<p>"Erm, hello? We have cockatrice meat for you?" stated the bard hesitantly.</p>
<p>Amazement flashed on the lady's face before a great big smile appeared, "You answered my request! I'm so glad!" she exclaimed as she ran over to give all of them a big hug, much to their surprise. When she was done, she clapped a few times and asked, "Ooh, where are they?"</p>
<p>Botan then laid out the carcasses on the table. They were tied together by their feet. She got a shine in her eyes as she looked over them. "Amazing! Simply amazing!" she exclaimed. She proceeded to hug them again and thank them profusely. She then proceeded to usher them out of the kitchen, citing the need to be creative.</p>
<p>Roberu chuckled and said to them, "Well, I'm sure she's very happy."</p>
<p>"Who is she anyway?" asked Lamy, her eyes brimming with curiosity, "She is rather excitable for a chef."</p>
<p>"She called herself Kiara when we met all months ago," he explained as he reminisced, "She was quite eager to start and impressed me as well as my regulars with her food. So, I let her continue running the kitchen."</p>
<p>"Well, her food Is really good," admitted Nene.</p>
<p>"Right. And I have your reward right here," he stated as he handed a large bag to them, "Try not to spend it all in one place… or maybe just spend them here tonight, eh?"</p>
<p>They just smiled politely and thanked him before leaving for the guild house. There, they were greeted by Miyabi.</p>
<p>"Welcome back. I take it that the request is done?" he greeted with a welcoming smile. Getting nods from them, he then said, "That's great. So, are you going to take it easy today or are you taking another quest?"</p>
<p>They looked at each other and Nene said, "I'm not sure… maybe take it easy for now. We did get… turned to stone overnight… eh heh..."</p>
<p>"Ah… I'll leave you to it then," he replied uncomfortably and went back to his stack of papers.</p>
<p>"Are you sure about this?" asked Lamy as they went to the side room, "If I must be honest, I do not feel any different."</p>
<p>"Not us. Botan," stated the bard as they took a seat, "How are you feeling?"</p>
<p>The lion girl stared at the table, unable to meet their eyes. "I guess I'm alright..." she muttered. Polka reached over and patted her hand. She smiled wryly.</p>
<p>"I guess not," she admitted with a sigh, "I saw everyone turn to stone and I couldn't do a thing."</p>
<p>"It wasn't your fault," pointed out Aloe, "Those monster chickens were just too many."</p>
<p>She sighed and said, "I could see that… but… I could have done something. I wanted to do something more. And… I felt something surge within me." Then, she told them what happened when Lamy became petrified. The anger and the rage she felt. It didn't sound like anything they have ever heard of before.</p>
<p>'The door to the side room opened and several others took up another table. A large, dark-skinned barbarian with a large horn from the side of his head, a black-haired jackal man, a red-headed girl with white streaks in her hair dressed in dark leathers, and surprisingly, Rosalyn. They chit-chatted while the unknown girl then took out a deck of cards and started dealing.</p>
<p>"So, what do we do? Do we try and find out about Botan's condition?" asked Nene, bringing the party back to the issue at hand.</p>
<p>"But who can we ask?" spoke up the monk, "I… the only one I can even think of asking is Lord Aruran, but..."</p>
<p>"Come to think of it, we hardly see him here anyway," pointed out Lamy, "All we see is Miyabi."</p>
<p>"Probably doing whatever nobles do all those other times," quipped the succubus.</p>
<p>The door to the side room opened again. Risu and Moona immediately headed over to the party. "Halo, halo," greeted the druid excitably, "Botan, Botan, you need to come with us."</p>
<p>"Eh?" sounded the archer, blinking in surprise.</p>
<p>"Ya, ya, the elders want to do a check-up on you," she informed them, "So, please follow."</p>
<p>"She got a request from the elders of her circle," the aasimar bard added, "Seeing who asked her, I have a feeling she has an obligation to do it. It would be better to come along and find out what."</p>
<p>The archer looked at the others in the party with uncertainty.</p>
<p>"Go on," urged the monk, "They are the ones who helped look you over right? So, maybe they can figure out what happened."</p>
<p>"I guess..."</p>
<p>"Don't worry! It'll all be fine!" assured Risu as she pulled Botan out of her seat and out of the room, the lion girl blankly following after her.</p>
<p>"Sorry about that. We'll get her back soon," apologized Moona before following after the young druid.</p>
<p>The rest of the party watched them go. At the other table, the barbarian roared with laughter while Rosalyn shouted in despair. The other two sniggered at her misfortune.</p>
<p>"Hng, you know, enough moping," declared Aloe as she slammed the table, "Let's go to Robel's and find out Kiara made a dish out of those monster chickens."</p>
<hr/>
<p>They came across Roberu sighing in annoyance.</p>
<p>"Hello, ladies," he greeted them, "Unfortunately, the kitchen is closed so if you are here for eats, you'll have to go somewhere else."</p>
<p>"Eh? What happened?" asked Nene.</p>
<p>"Huh, the bird brain made a dish with the cockatrices and sampled it," he informed them, "Then, a few minutes before dinner rush, she gets a stomach ache. Absolutely ridiculous."</p>
<p>A mix of sighs and groans erupted from the party. "So… since this kitchen is closed, any other place you'd recommend for food?"</p>
<p>"Eh… there's Farun's bar a few roads down," he stated with a shrug, "A lot more rowdier than my place, but the food is just as good."</p>
<p>"Alright, thanks a lot, Roberu," replied the bard gratefully. The bartender waved them off as he went on to serve another order.</p>
<p>They made their way to Farun's bar. True to Roberu's word, it was louder than they expected to be, but the food was certainly just as delicious. Unexpectedly, Polka and Lamy got drunk… and so the other two had to carry them. They passed a cat girl and a dog girl on the way out, heading straight for the guild house.</p>
<p>The next morning, the cleric and the monk nursed hangovers while the other two waited for them to recover.</p>
<p>"How has your landlady been treating you, by the way?" asked Nene as the two sat at the table.</p>
<p>"She's… strange..." Aloe muttered as she rubbed the bridge of her nose, "The first few days, Towa was constantly trying to get information out of me about succubi. For being a half-devil, she's very nosy. But, after getting all she could, she just shut herself off from me and left me to my devices. Then, it's been alright, I guess."</p>
<p>"Uh… good for you?" guessed the bard with a shrug, "At least, you're fine now… and getting used to living here."</p>
<p>"So-so," she muttered as she slumped back in her seat, "Could be worse, I guess."</p>
<p>The door then opened and Botan walked through calmly.</p>
<p>"Welcome back!" the bard exclaimed as she rushed over to give a hug.</p>
<p>"Ah, hi, hi, hello Nene," the lion girl replied with a smile. A relieved smile.</p>
<p>"I'm back."</p>
<hr/>
<p>After the two had recovered from their hangovers, the party convened in the side room and awaited Botan's story.</p>
<p>"Ah, where do I start… Remember the werewolf? And my journey to the fey-wild?" askd Botan. Getting nods from everyone, she continued, "Well… after going through the checkup… they found out that the lycanthropy has been altered. Now, it has become a part of me in a different way. I have… a somewhat-controlled transformation. And I need to practice using it to gain better control over it."</p>
<p>She then clapped her hands once and said, "So! Did anyone pick a request yet?"</p>
<p>Nene shook her head, "Not really. We were waiting for you. We could go now if you like."</p>
<p>The party immediately got up and headed straight for the notice board. After a while, the archer picked out a request and brought it over to the counter.</p>
<p>"Oh? Well, what a strange request you picked up," stated the guild clerk as he read the missive, glancing at the party, "You want to… entertain the children at the local orphanage. That's a nice thing to do… but I expected this to be taken by the bard duo, not your party. What brought this on?"</p>
<p>The rest of the party then looked to the archer, who felt a little uncomfortable with their stares but answered anyway, "I thought that… we needed to take it easy for a while, so I thought that this was something we could do together."</p>
<p>A grin then developed on the fennec fox girl's face. "A circus performance!" she exclaimed loudly as she started jumping excitedly.</p>
<p>The lion girl smirked and continued, "I thought you'd like it."</p>
<p>"Very well, I'll put this as taken then," stated Miyabi with an amused smile, "Alright, I'll write down the address and directions. You can talk with the owner of the building and settle on a date and time for the performance."</p>
<p>The very excited monk eagerly waited for the address, which she quickly snatched and ran out of the guild house. The rest of the party looked on in incredulousness. "She'll be back," stated the archer, though not as confident as she sounded, "We better wait in the room for her."</p>
<p>And so they did. Several hours later, the fennec fox girl showed up. Smiling brightly, she sat down and detailed her plans. The children there were young and have yet to become of age, and so still found fascination with nursery rhymes and folk tales. After telling them their roles in this little project of hers, everyone agreed and went to do their tasks. Over the next two days, they got to work.</p>
<p>Botan made up a leather suit made of several skins. Her needlework could have used some improvement, but with Aloe's help, she made something that covered her entire body from the neck down. After she put it on, she looked like a real lion. She also made something for the cleric, for the character she will be playing. It was a full-body suit this time, complete with fake ears. She also had lines to memorize.</p>
<p>As well as getting measurements for the suit, Lamy spent her time going over her lines. The script was written by the bard, who knew of this children's fable since young. Nene, as well as writing out the script, had to figure out the proper accompanying song for the little play. Polka had lines too, as she had elected herself to be the narrator of the story. More memorizing of the story. By the time, the two days were up, they were as ready as they could ever be.</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. And now, Risu saves the day. Everyone is safe and sound. Then, we see the aftermath of the monster chicken escapade. Kiara... truly becomes a bird brain. At least the stomachache isn't lethal. Then, we get a request that has no danger whatsoever. Why? I say... why not?</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
<p>Omake: Reaped Visitations</p>
<p>The sound of vomiting gurgled all around the water bucket. Kiara heaved as she pushed herself back on the bed. The bucket smelled all to the high Hells but she didn't feel like moving. It felt like she threw up her entire stomach out of her body.</p>
<p>"<em>Ah, again... maybe I shouldn't have eaten so much of it</em>," she mused with a wry smile. Then, she heard the bucket being dragged on the floor. She glanced to the side and silently gasped.</p>
<p>"Really? I thought you were tougher than this?" said a familiar pink-haired reaper.</p>
<p>"Calli!" she exclaimed hoarsely as she threw herself weakly at Calliope, only to fall short and plant her face on the floor.</p>
<p>The reaper shook her head, pinched her nose, and said, "Really? I actually deigned to visit you and you do this? You're lucky I pushed the bucket away or you'd be drinking it."</p>
<p>"I knew you cared," she groaned out as she lifted her head up to stare at her beloved.</p>
<p>"Right..." trailed off the buxom reaper as she pulled a clipboard from out of thin air. "Huh, cockatrice drumsticks... of all the shitty things to do. What do you have to say for yourself, Kiara?"</p>
<p>"Umm... make sure to clean it properly?" she guessed.</p>
<p>"Of all the... never mind... get well soon, shitty bird," the reaper told her as she disappeared.</p>
<p>"Ah, he, he, sure Calli. Anything for you," the chef cooed as she hauled herself back to her bed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="xcontrast">
  <p></p>
  <div>
    <p></p>
    <div>
      <p>Chapter 11</p>
      <p>Along the way to the orphanage, they met Risu and Moona. It seems that they were bringing Baloo around to get him used to the city, the squirrel girl having a firm grip on him.</p>
      <p>"Haloo, what's going on?" asked the druid.</p>
      <p>"We are going to put on a performance for children at the orphanage," Polka informed them happily.</p>
      <p>"Oh, can we come and watch!?" asked the squirrel girl, immediately into over-the-top-excited mode.</p>
      <p>"Color me interested as well," added the aasimar.</p>
      <p>"Sure! The more the merrier!" the monk said jovially.</p>
      <p>And so, the party and the additions sauntered on to the orphanage. They still needed time to set up, get into costume, and for Nene, check her lute. Thankfully, this is where Baloo came into play. Risu introduced the owlbear cub to the orphans and soon there was a lot of laughter as the boys play-wrestled with him while the girls laughed and cheered both sides on. The cub had to be gentle with them, as the druid promised him treats. Honey and meat strips. So, it warbled and chirped as he played with the children.</p>
      <p>Eventually, the children were called into the building and they settled down in the large living room. Risu, Baloo, and Moona went in as well as sat down on the stairs that were right next to the room. Polka came out of the kitchen in her multicolored costume and pranced around, wowing the young audience.</p>
      <p>"Hello, everyone, welcome to Polka's Travelling Stories," she introduced grandly to cheers and applause. Nene then started playing her lute. A smooth stream of soothing melodies set the atmosphere.</p>
      <p>The monk told the story of a lion. Mighty and proud. It was the strongest animal in its domain. In came Botan with her lion costume, moving to the middle of the 'stage' and posing majestically. The crowd ooh-ed and ahh-ed with giggles.</p>
      <p>"One day, while it was asleep…"</p>
      <p>Botan pretended to yawn and lay down to sleep.</p>
      <p>"...a mouse walked by and its scratchings woke the lion up."</p>
      <p>Lamy scurried into view, wearing a full-body mouse costume. She crawled around the archer, who suddenly 'woke up' and caught her tail.</p>
      <p>"Please, o King of Beasts, please let me go," the 'mouse' pleaded, "If you do, one day I shall return the favor and aid you instead."</p>
      <p>The 'lion' laughed and said imperiously, "As if a small thing like you can ever help me." However, the 'lion' released its hold and let the mouse go. Lamy scurried out of sight.</p>
      <p>"However, one day, the lion was caught in a hunter's trap."</p>
      <p>The 'lion' laid down on the floor. Nene stopped playing and threw a blanket over Botan. The audience giggled again. She then continued playing, her strumming suddenly went up in tempo a little. More oohs and aahs.</p>
      <p>"It roared loudly. It thrashed around. Nothing it did matters. The trap was simply too sturdy and strong."</p>
      <p>The 'lion' mocked roared and waved her arms around, prompting more giggles.</p>
      <p>"Suddenly, the mouse appeared..."</p>
      <p>Lamy scurried into view and went straight for Botan. "O King of Beasts, let me help you," the 'mouse' requested.</p>
      <p>"Do as you will. If I cannot release myself, what more can you do?" the 'lion' stated tiredly as she laid down again.</p>
      <p>"... and bit through the trap and set the lion free!"</p>
      <p>Lamy lifted the blanket and let Botan crawl out from under it. "How amazing. I was wrong to doubt you, little one," admitted the 'lion' as the cleric dropped the blanket.</p>
      <p>"Thank you, my lord. I am always ready to help," squeaked the 'mouse' as both of them crawled away out of sight.</p>
      <p>"The lion learned that day that one good turn always deserves another, no matter how big or small you are. Thank you," ended Polka as she walked to the front of the audience and bowed.</p>
      <p>She was then greeted with cheers and loud clapping. The party then went to the front and bowed again. The children immediately got to their feet and ran over to hug all the performers, all of them thanking them and saying how awesome the performance was in varying degrees of loudness. Everyone was all smiles, but none were bigger and brighter than Polka's, who wore the biggest smile of all.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>"Woohoo, that was fun," said Risu while carrying Baloo as the whole group walked back to the guild house.</p>
      <p>"Yeah! Yeah! The first step to making the Polka-riffic circus!" exclaimed Polka as she did cartwheels by the side of the road.</p>
      <p>"I do admit, it was very heartening seeing their smiles," stated Lamy.</p>
      <p>"Yeah, it was wonderful," agreed Aloe.</p>
      <p>"Indeed, whoever thought of taking this task should be praised," added Moona.</p>
      <p>"Yes!" shouted the monk, agreeing whole-heartedly as she jumped on the archer's back, "Thanks for taking it, Botan!"</p>
      <p>"Hn, no problem," replied the lion girl, grunting a little as she adjusted to the weight.</p>
      <p>It was late evening when they reached the guild house. After saying their goodbyes, the group went to their rooms to store their play stuff before going to the bar for dinner. Everyone was relaxed and ate their fill. It was a good time. As they were finishing up, Artia appeared next to their table and asked, "Erm, excuse me… can I ask for assistance?"</p>
      <p>The party looked at her for a moment. "Sure. What do you need help with?" asked Nene as they made space for her to sit. It was a squeeze but they managed.</p>
      <p>"Well, you see..." she started, poking her index fingers together as she blushed with embarrassment, "I need help with some spell experiments. Mostly just to see if I am doing it correctly. So… if you can get a suitable hunting quest tomorrow, I would like to follow along."</p>
      <p>"Sure you can. What time are you free?" asked the bard with a welcoming tone.</p>
      <p>"Ah, in the afternoon, after classes are over," she replied gratefully, "Thank you so much! I shall see you all tomorrow."</p>
      <p>She then bowed and left in a hurry.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>The request was to hunt a brown bear for a pelt. Artia had already picked it out and was waiting for the party in the side room. She was certainly eager to try out her spells. After some preparation, the party left by the west gate. They traveled down the road, intending to go further out before turning off-road. However, there was something they didn't account for.</p>
      <p>"Hear that?" asked Botan softly as they made their way westward. The rustling of the leaves was a very clear sign.</p>
      <p>"I hear it too," replied Nene, "They aren't making much effort to hide, though."</p>
      <p>"It has been awhile," muttered Lamy as she glanced over to Polka, who was busy daydreaming about her circus.</p>
      <p>"What are you talking about?" asked Artia in confusion.</p>
      <p>"We have trouble coming our way," stated Aloe calmly as she got ready to fly.</p>
      <p>"Get 'em!"</p>
      <p>Artia and Aloe acted quicker than the others. The wizard ran behind a tree as she shot a ray of frost at one bandit, the beam glancing across his arm. The succubus flew up and dived forward, gliding over to the furthest bandit.</p>
      <p>"Hello, can you help me?" she asked as she landed, batting her eyes at him as she tried to seduce him magically.</p>
      <p>He stared at her in a daze for a moment before shouting, "Demon! They have a demon!" This drew the attention of the nearby bandits. Two leveled their crossbows at her and shot bolts at her, while her target and the bandit next to him drew their swords to attack.</p>
      <p>"Tch," she hissed as a sword slice left a cut on her arm while a bolt went through one of her wings.</p>
      <p>"Argh! Try that again! I bet you can't hit the side of a barn!" Nene mocked the bandit leader as she pulled both of his daggers out of her leg.</p>
      <p>It wasn't as vicious as it sounded as the man jeered, "Ha, ha! Try saying that while not bleeding, girly!" Meanwhile, the bandit next to him yelled in pain as Botan's arrow pierced his shoulder.</p>
      <p>"Hai-ya!" shouted Polka as she landed a flying kick into the chest of one of the shooters. She tried kicking him again but she missed since he was staggering backward.</p>
      <p>Meanwhile, the ice genasi had been waving her hands over her spellbook. Then, she ran out of cover and shouted, "With the power of the freezing winds!" Holding out her hands in front of her, her thumbs touching and fingers spread, a wave of blue flames washed over the shooters. Instead of burning them, their bodies and limbs were inflicted with freezing coldness. One bandit collapsed, overcome by the drop in temperature. The other was able to keep his mind and ran away screaming for help into the forest. "By the gods, it worked," she muttered in disbelief as she looked to her hands.</p>
      <p>At the same moment, Aloe decided to switch targets and attempted to charm her former target's companion. The man stared at her for a moment and said, "Mistress?"</p>
      <p>His friend realized what was happening and shouted, "The fuck?" He then punched the new target.</p>
      <p>When he didn't react, the succubus smiled deviously and she ordered, "Kill this one."</p>
      <p>"Snap out of it, you dumb shit!" his friend shouted as they traded blows.</p>
      <p>"Damned idiots," growled the bandit leader as he threw two more daggers at the bard, who dashed to the middle of the battlefield, one of the daggers nicking her arm.</p>
      <p>She then started strumming her lute, singing about being under the pressure. The bandits pretty much ignored her song, save the charmed one.</p>
      <p>"You touched in the head, gir-"</p>
      <p>"Shut up!" shouted the monk as she surged forward and elbowed the leader in the face. She then pummeled him in the gut before somersaulting back. Just in time too, as Botan's arrow flew true into the bandit's throat and his blood splattered over the bandit leader.</p>
      <p>"Damn it all," he growled out as he ducked under the cleric's frost ray.</p>
      <p>Meanwhile, Artia tried another spell. As she chanted, she made as if to pull an invisible bow, a shimmering green arrow forming in her hands. As she motioned to release it, she muttered this time, "By the power of the freezing winds." The arrow hit its target, splashing over the bandit and killed him, frost creeping and spreading all around the killing blow.</p>
      <p>"Huh, I guess, time to finish him off," Aloe said to herself as she motioned the last bandit over. She then gave him a kiss. Wisps of ethereal energy flowed from him to her, the bandit's body suddenly drying up and turning into a husk in seconds. She released the dried-up remains, the body crumpling to the grassy ground. The genasi noticed this and she narrowed her eyes, staring at the succubus.</p>
      <p>"Haargh! Damn it all!" the bandit leader shouted as he charged down the monk, dodging everything that was thrown and shot at him. His sword clipped her arm but she avoided the rest of his swings. She tried to pummel him again, but it seemed that he had enough and his wild swings were masking the fact that he was trying to run away.</p>
      <p>Unfortunately for him, Aloe blocked his way and said, "Can you look into my eyes?" As she bat her eyes at him, he stopped in his tracks and stared into space while asking, "Yes, mistress?"</p>
      <p>"Hmph, are you going to kiss him too?" asked Artia.</p>
      <p>"Umm..."</p>
      <p>"What are you talking about?" asked Lamy as the rest of the party gathered warily.</p>
      <p>"Ah… I got some… extra sustenance?" said the succubus very hesitantly.</p>
      <p>"Your friend just sucked out that one's soul," said the wizard as she pointed to the drained husk.</p>
      <p>"Eh?" sounded Polka in disbelief as she stared at their friend.</p>
      <p>"...That… doesn't sound good," stated Nene, "Why did you do that, Aloe?"</p>
      <p>"Uh..." she uttered sheepishly as she poked her index fingers together, "I… It's been some time since I had something like this? I guess next time… I'll do it out of sight? If it makes you that uncomfortable."</p>
      <p>"Hnn, I rather you don't do it at all, to be honest," muttered the monk, after most of the others nodded, "I mean, I heard stories of succubi draining souls."</p>
      <p>"I agree," affirmed the cleric, "Absolutely under no circumstance should you do so again. I mean, if you must consume souls, then I suppose we should have you work as an executioner of sorts in the city. But you speak of it as if talking about a delicacy, which means you can live without it. So, no taking souls!"</p>
      <p>She groaned and said, "Fine… I won't go sucking out anyone's soul… in front of you." Then, she turned to the bandit leader and asked, "So what do I do about this guy?"</p>
      <p>"Um… have him turn himself in to the guards at the gate," suggested Nene.</p>
      <p>Everyone agreed with it. Aloe then sent him on his way, with orders to surrender to the gate guard and confess his banditry. With that settled, the party dragged the bodies into the forest and continued on their way. They moved further into the forest, keeping ears out for bear-like sounds and eyes for signs like scratches on trees, so on and so forth. There were quite a few. But, zero signs of any bears, which was puzzling.</p>
      <p>"Hng, I wish Risu was here to guide us," muttered Botan as her eyes darted around, "The day is going and still no sign of any bears."</p>
      <p>"Truly vexing," agreed Artia, "We should have met at least one by-"</p>
      <p>"Hey, there's a cave there!" shouted out the monk, pointing to a cave entrance under a hillock.</p>
      <p>"Hmm, maybe there's a bear inside," mused the archer, "Better be careful. Maybe Polka sneaks inside first?"</p>
      <p>"No problem!" the fennec fox girl exclaimed and she crept in from the side of the mouth of the cave. The rest waited outside off to the side. A few minutes went by and she came out, looking a little shaken.</p>
      <p>"Are you alright?" asked Nene, wondering what happened to her.</p>
      <p>"Something weird is going on inside," she told them after calming down a bit, "So, it's one big cave and I saw a woman inside. She was dressed in a green dress and a green shawl. She had this… unnatural beauty to her. She seemed to be living there. But, I also found rats. Lots of rats. I also saw hairy goblins sneaking around in the shadows. Thankfully, they didn't see me, although I think she almost detected me. I swear there was one time I think her eyes were following me. It was so creepy."</p>
      <p>"Hmm… I think I heard of something like this but I just can't remember," muttered Artia in confusion.</p>
      <p>"Is she responsible for the missing bears?" asked Botan, deep in thought.</p>
      <p>"I don't see how one woman can remove All the bears in this forest," snarked Aloe.</p>
      <p>"Then, let's ask her then," the archer stated. She then got up and headed to the mouth of the cave.</p>
      <p>"Are you sure about this?" asked the bard.</p>
      <p>The lion girl shrugged and replied, "Sitting around outside won't help us."</p>
      <p>The rest looked at each other for a moment. Then, the lore bard said, "Alright, but we better keep our eyes and ears open for sudden attacks."</p>
      <p>"Agreed. This woman doesn't sound trustworthy at all," supported Lamy.</p>
      <p>Having made the unified decision, they headed into the cave. It was dark, lit by a strange green glow as they passed the area lit by the sun outside. It opened up to a large cave. An alcove to the side of the cave entrance had straw bedding and a glimpse of a wooden thing further in. There was a naturally raised area on the other side leading to another alcove. At the furthest side of the cave, there were barrels and all manner of foodstuffs as well as a firepit with a bubbling cauldron. The green woman Polka saw stood in front of the cast-iron pot, peering into its roiling depths. Suddenly, she looked up and turned to face them.</p>
      <p>"Hello, children. What sort of help can I do for you today?"</p>
      <p>
        <strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. Right, it's playtime. Holo5 playing with some kids. And after that, Artia is asking for some help. Testing out her skills so to speak. As the Order of the Scribe wizards can modify the damage type of their spells, I decided on 'the freezing winds' line as her trigger word. So, she will be coming along while they hunt for bears. However, not everything is as they seem. Where have all the bears gone? Then, they meet a mysterious woman living in a cave. Hmm...</strong>
      </p>
      <p>
        <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
      </p>
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<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 12</p>
<p>"Who are you?" asked Nene, stepping to the front.</p>
<p>"Ah, a cautious one. Clever girl," praised the strange lady, who then replied in a friendly manner, "My name is Agatha. I have recently moved here. I had hoped to reach out by word of mouth to the nearby village. I provide many services."</p>
<p>"What do you know about the bears in the area?" asked Botan as she stepped up next to the bard.</p>
<p>"Ah, the bears… true, there used to be bears here," she began to explain while walking slowly towards them, "Though, I cannot say. Have checked the whole forest? I believe it goes on for miles. Perhaps your bears are in another part of the forest."</p>
<p>"Really? I thought most bears are territorial," fired back the archer, "There was no way that the bears simply moved away without a fierce fight."</p>
<p>"Huh. That, I wouldn't know anything about that," she said with a shrug, "I came here after that. I wasn't even aware of any bears living here."</p>
<p>"What do you mean by after that? How would you know the bears moved away?" asked Nene with a frown.</p>
<p>"Ah, I came here after traveling for miles," she said with a suspicious smile, "That is what I meant. As to knowing about the bears moving away, I didn't know. Like I said, I only moved here only recently."</p>
<p>"But you knew there were bears living here," spoke up Artia articulately as she stepped forward next to Botan, "Why would anyone want to live in a bear's territory? Not to mention Risu's circle is far from this part of the forest. If anything, you would be living with them. Additionally, with bears being territorial, the only way to remove them is by overwhelming force. With your hidden, hairy goblins, I wouldn't be surprised that they are all that is left of your entourage. So, who are you?"</p>
<p>The green lady was astonished by what came out of her mouth. Slowly, a sneer formed on her face. "So… another clever girl… a pity I never found you when you were but a babe. You would have made a good child for me," she snarked in her declaration. She transformed, her hair becoming wilder and unkept, her fingernails extending and becoming sharpened claws, and her beautiful face became a hideous visage.</p>
<p>"Kill them all, my servants!" she shrieked out. Squeaking and howls answered her.</p>
<p>"Great, a hag… and I don't know which one too," groaned out the ice genasi as she brought out her book with a flourish.</p>
<p>"Hello darkness my old friend," sang Nene as she strummed her lute, "I've come to talk with you again."</p>
<p>"Because a vision softly creeping,</p>
<p>Left its seeds while I was sleeping,</p>
<p>And the vision that was planted in my head,</p>
<p>Remains unsaid,</p>
<p>Within the sound of Silence."</p>
<p>As she chanted a faint, a shimmer in the air flickered and covered half the cave. Agatha made to scream but no sound came from her lips. She blinked in surprise and then made an angry face when Polka's dart struck her in the arm. She charged forward and lashed out at the nearest person, Artia, who jumped back to avoid her long claws. Aloe lunged forward and narrowly missed as well, while a soft glow settled on the monk, the archer, and the bard. The genasi wizard tried moving away and was clawed in the back.</p>
<p>Putting some distance between them, she chanted as she waved her free hand overhead, "By the power of freezing winds, I strike with purity and unity." Three darts of mystical force appeared over her and struck the hag in the chest. The darts exploded into motes of ice upon impact and their enemy screamed in pain.</p>
<p>"Yikes!" yelped Polka as a javelin grazed her arm. Bugbears had appeared from the shadows and were throwing roughly sharpened sticks at them. The succubus shrieked as two more punctured her wings. Meanwhile, Lamy screamed as swarms of rats came from the other side of the cave and started biting at her heels. Botan roared, the bright glow and black streaks appearing, and she moved to help the cleric handle the swarms.</p>
<p>"Your fight is here, ugly!" shouted Nene at the hag as she slung the lute over her shoulder and pulled out her rapier.</p>
<p>"Rude child! I'll get your for-urk" started the hag but was kicked in the face by a grinning monk, who followed up with a kick to the gut. She growled at the fennec fox girl before she chanted, "Eyes beyond your sight you need, for I will disappear from thee." And she suddenly popped out of existence, cackling madly as she did so.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Aloe flew up to the raised area to retaliate against the slight against her wings, taking them by surprise and clawing one of them in the face. They tried to fight back but she was too agile and they missed. At the same time, a spectral sword appeared as Lamy backed away from the rats. Then, she and the sword moved on to attack the vermin with magic and blade.</p>
<p>"Where did that hag go?" asked out Artia as she looked warily. Keeping an open eye out for her, she sent her attention to the side and chanted as she pointed at the bugbears, "By the power of freezing winds, the drums will shatter to a million pieces." A loud ringing noise erupted among the bugbears, the goblinoids gripping their heads while still holding on to their armaments. They were able to recover and continued tossing javelins at the monk, much to her annoyance. At that same time, Botan had cut down the rat swarms by half, which had moved on to try and attack the bard. She in turn fought back, striking and stabbing at each rat in turn.</p>
<p>Their leader gone, Polka turned and flew towards the nearest bugbear with a flying kick. Her foot connected with the board it used as a shield. Even though she could still see in the darkened area, the goblinoids made good use of their planks to protect themselves.</p>
<p>"A-ha-ha-ha," cackled the green hag as she suddenly appeared before Artia. The ice genasi was expecting this and dodged. Aloe noticed this and snarled, jumping down and swiping at the hag. Agatha hissed as her shoulder got raked over. Then, she ducked under a mace as Lamy tried helping as well.</p>
<p>The wizard tried moving away but the hag said, "Oh, no, my girl." She swiped at the genasi, catching her in her back again, digging her wounds even deeper. She hissed and hobbled over to the monk and took in a deep breath. She exhaled, blowing out freezing cold air over the monk's shoulder. The goblinoids roared and shouted as they were bathed in her frost breath. She suddenly gasped and the breath was cut off when a javelin went into her side. She fell down behind the monk.</p>
<p>"Artia!" shouted Polka before screaming in surprise as a morningstar slammed into her shoulder. She then evaded the rest of the attacks sent her way, the pain still fresh on her mind. She then retaliated with a powerful punch, bursting apart the plank of wood and cracking a bugbear's skull.</p>
<p>Botan and Nene, after having finished off the rat swarm, turned around to find the hag missing. "Take care. She can turn invisible," warned the bard as Lamy directed her spirit sword to the bugbears as she healed the genasi.</p>
<p>"Thank you, Lamy!" shouted Artia as she pulled the javelin out and dropped it to the floor. As a green glow washed over her wounds, she chanted as she waved her free hand overhead, "By the power of freezing winds, I strike with purity and unity." Three darts of mystical force appeared over her head and slammed into the nearest bugbear.</p>
<p>The goblinoids were enraged and continued their attack on the party. Aloe had no problem dodging while attacking them with renewed vigor while the monk and wizard got taken by surprise by the brutality of their morningstars.</p>
<p>"Hurry, they need help!" shouted Nene as she ran towards the two. Botan's arrow thudded into the wooden shield while her rapier found its heart. "Rise!" she sang out as she laced the healing note in her words, bathing the monk in its rejuvenation.</p>
<p>Polka roared as she jumped to her feet and sent a flurry of blows at the nearest bugbear, mostly hitting its shield but one punch left its head ringing.</p>
<p>"Surprise, my dear!" Agatha cackled as she appeared in front of Lamy, her claws digging deep into her stomach. The half-snow elf screamed; the soft glow on the monk, the archer, and the bard winked out of existence. She then glanced at the bleeding genasi and grit her teeth. Then, she readied her shield and moved.</p>
<p>"Where are you going my dear?" shouted the hag as she swiped with her claws. Thanks to her shield, she was protected as she ran past Agatha to help Artia. Grasping her amulet tightly and touching the ice genasi, her prayers were down to a whisper as blood clotted and wounds closed by magic.</p>
<p>"Thank you again!" she said gratefully as a ray of frost crackled against the bugbear's plank of wood.</p>
<p>"Hands of my friends!" roared Botan as she charged down the hag and clawed her face.</p>
<p>Seeing that most of the hag's minions were down, Nene quickly swapped out her rapier for her lute. Strumming out a few notes, she sang, "In restless dreams I walked alone..."</p>
<p>"...Narrow streets of cobblestone,</p>
<p>'Neath the shining of a torch's light,</p>
<p>I felt my heart jump out my chest with fright,</p>
<p>Then my ears were stabbed by the shout of a banshee's wail,</p>
<p>It pierced the veil</p>
<p>And brought the sound of Silence."</p>
<p>As this went on, Polka finished off the bugbear and then ran over to help with the hag. Meanwhile, Lamy provided long-range support to Aloe in a rush to finish off the remaining bugbear.</p>
<p>Agatha let out a soundless, frustrated shriek and booked it, running out of the area Silence. Her speed took everyone by surprise, and as she got out successfully, she gleefully chanted, "Eyes beyond your sight you need, for I will disappear from thee." She disappeared with a cackle.</p>
<p>"You are not getting away so easily!" declared Artia as she pointed at the hag's last known spot. "By the power of freezing winds, the drums will shatter to a million pieces," she chanted. The loud ringing noise erupted followed by a pained shriek as the hag reappeared as she clutched her ears. She smirked for a moment before deciding to aid the cleric and the succubus.</p>
<p>Botan shouted something noiselessly as she shot at the reappearing hag, as the bard and the monk surged forward at the ready. Everything missed as she somehow recovered and danced around everything they sent at her.</p>
<p>"A-ha-ha-ha," cackled the green hag as she chanted and pulled her disappearing trick again.</p>
<p>"Damn it!" shouted the lore bard in frustration. Meanwhile, the other three finished off the last bugbear.</p>
<p>Botan seemed to say something in the silence field as she nocked an arrow. As she pulled, she closed her eyes. Nene and Polka watched in confusion and then with awe as the archer shot the arrow to nowhere in particular. As it left, the silvery sheen that accompanied it burned brightly and the arrow suddenly circled around and shot straight at something. It suddenly stopped, the head and shaft half-buried in something, as it was floating in mid-air right in the middle of the silence field. Suddenly, Agatha reappeared in a noiseless scream with the arrow buried in her back.</p>
<p>The bard and the monk blinked in surprise for a moment, before running after the hag in pain. Once again, she had some supernatural agility to dodge all their attacks. However, as she bolted, Polka was able to trip her. Instead of falling face-first to the ground, Agatha landed on all fours and actually scurried out of the cave with surprising speed.</p>
<p>"What the- Get back here, you witch!" snarled Aloe angrily as she flew after her. As the others gathered near the entrance, she came back with an annoyed face. "The witch disappeared. I lost track of her."</p>
<p>"Well, at least we survived all that," said Nene gratefully, "Let's search the place. We might find something."</p>
<p>And so they did. The bugbears had very little on them and nothing of value. The rest of the cave didn't have much. The barrels and the foodstuffs were actually a whole lot of herbal ingredients that looked old and withered. Pieces of rotten fish in one barrel almost made Botan throw up. The alcoves had very little either. One side seemed to house the bugbears. It was dirty and foul. The other alcove was a little better. The straw bedding seemed to be for the hag. The wooden thing Polka saw earlier were chests, one large and one small. The large one had lots of pelts; a black bear pelt, a brown bear pelt, two wolf pelts, and five deer pelts. The smaller one was black, two feet by two feet. They opened it and found two strange figurines, one taller and one smaller. They were strangely painted, the taller one had a red bow while the smaller one had an ox-horn hairstyle. Both figurines had oversized hands, half the size of the smaller one's head.</p>
<p>"Huh, what strange things she owns," stated Lamy as the party looked at them. To their surprise, the figures turned their heads to the cleric, lifted their hands to her, and raised their middle fingers.</p>
<p>"Hmph, how rude," the half-snow elf muttered as she glared at them while the others giggled, Polka being the loudest.</p>
<p>"Älright, let's bring all this back to the city," stated Botan as she closed the box, "So, who wants the box?"</p>
<hr/>
<p>In the end, Polka elected to take ownership of the black box. With Botan and Nene carrying the chest, they made their way back to the road. Thankfully, instead of bandits, they encountered a returning cart. They paid a few silver for the driver's time and got a cart ride back to Rivirapolis. They visited the hunting shop and tannery to check out the pelts. Then, they met with the requester, a lesser noble, who was quite happy with his new brown bear pelt. Overall, they earned two hundred and fifty gold from sales and the quest. By the time all this was done, night had fallen and the lanterns on the lamp posts had already been lit.</p>
<p>"Things were crazy today," said Botan as they walked back to the guild house. Artia had gone back to the dorms while Aloe had returned to Towa's house.</p>
<p>"Hi, hi, I got some nice stuff," beamed Polka as she hugged the box close, "Funny, I never thought I'd get my own trophy… sort off..."</p>
<p>"I still think they should be burned," groused Lamy with a pout.</p>
<p>"Relax, Lamy. The box will be in Polka's room, so you don't have to look at them," stated Nene assuringly, "That should be fine, right?"</p>
<p>"Hng," the cleric sounded out as she crossed her arms, glancing away.</p>
<p>"Alright, enough talking about the box, let's go get something to eat," said the bard as she led them to Robel's.</p>
<p>"Ah, fried chicken," muttered the archer as she licked her lips, eagerly anticipating the juicy goodness.</p>
<p>"...Fine," the half-snow elf muttered in reply, "I shall let this go for now. I better not see those… things... for a long time."</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. So... for those who play D&amp;D, it would be clear what they are fighting, but for those who don't, they are fighting a green hag with her minions. Think evil witch and you're on the right track. As for their quest, they found enough pelts and then some to complete it. The funnier thing would be... the contents of the black box. It is a reference to a 4-koma(?) manga/anime that frequently parodies pop culture. Care to guess which one?</strong>
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<p>
  <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 13</p>
<p>The next request was for protection work. A noble requested for guards to protect him while he goes… trophy hunting. Something that drew Botan's interest. His servant was sent to the guild house to find someone to answer the request immediately and it was there that the archer took it up immediately.</p>
<p>"Are you sure about this?" asked Miyabi after the servant left.</p>
<p>"Well, Botan insisted. So, sure. I think we can handle it," admitted Nene as she shrugged, "We've been through a lot. Should be okay."</p>
<p>"Hello!" greeted a voice behind her. Risu and Moona met up with them at the counter. Without Baloo, strangely enough.</p>
<p>"Hello. We're going on a quest now," the lore bard informed them.</p>
<p>"Oh, oh, can we go with you?" asked the druid eagerly.</p>
<p>"Hmm? Where is the owlbear?" asked Polka in puzzlement.</p>
<p>"Ah, she left them with the other druids in the circle," said the aasimar, "Or so she says."</p>
<p>"But it's true!" protested the squirrel girl, "The elders say the others need to get used to Baloo too."</p>
<p>"Huh, makes sense," replied Aloe as she nodded.</p>
<p>"Let's go now. The guy is waiting for us, so hurry up and decide," urged the archer.</p>
<p>They met with the noble, a Lord Grish, a half-orc who supposedly had more human blood than orc blood. His entourage, a couple of his friends as well as many servants carrying weapons and equipment. He stepped up and shook their hands. After the round of introductions, he informed them of what they need to do. Protect the nobles and the servants from getting attacked by whatever wild animals that would attack them. That included possible rampaging targets that might suddenly turn around and charge them down. They agreed and they made their way north to the open, sparse grasslands to hunt for game. The nobles went on horseback while the rest went on foot.</p>
<p>During their jaunt into the wilderness, they got to know what everyone else was like a little better. The servants were… well… servants. Polite and respectful. They were also a little afraid of Aloe. The nobles acted in a similar way but less afraid and more disdain for the succubus. The disdain was extended to Risu, Botan and Polka. It was less when addressing Nene and Moona but a bit more welcoming towards Lamy. She even walked with Lord Grish at one time. Eventually, after an hour or two of traveling, the nobles started shouting and they broke off from their servants with loaded crossbows and throwing spears. A lone bull elephant was spotted. It looked old and was probably separated from its herd. The nobles brought it down easily, as evident by their cheers and how fast they took down the old bull. They then dismounted and called the servants over to attend them. A few servants were tasked with removing the head while the rest served food and wine to the nobles. However, while this was going on, a few of the party spotted something in the distance.</p>
<p>"Hmm? Something's coming," stated Botan.</p>
<p>"Can you see what it is?" asked Polka as she peered into the distance.</p>
<p>"Regardless, we better get ready. I shall let Lord Grish know of this," informed Lamy.</p>
<p>"I think… I think..." muttered Risu as she squinted, "I see hyenas... giant hyenas."</p>
<p>"Eh?" sounded Nene, and then they heard loud, weird-sounding laughter.</p>
<p>"I think she's right," snarked Aloe as she got ready for a fight.</p>
<p>"Well, time to earn your keep, ladies," stated Lord Grish as he walked over to them, "Just keep them away from the elephant until the servants get the head off." The rest of his noble friends had retreated far away.</p>
<p>"Can't you have them retreat as well?" asked Moona with a frown, "It is too dangerous."</p>
<p>"Hmph, I apologize for saying this, but you should do well to mind your place," he replied gruffly, before heading back to the noble group.</p>
<p>"Well, that was inconsiderate," the aasimar grumbled with a huff.</p>
<p>"Sadly, this is called 'keeping up appearances'. All too familiar," muttered the cleric as she shook her head, "Nevermind him. Let us protect the servants as best we can."</p>
<p>The party jogged past the elephant carcass and the fearful servants that were trying to detach the head. The growls, barks, and laughs came nearer and nearer until they could spot six and more vicious than a normal hyena, it is rumored that they could be tamed. However, there have been stories of long-lived versions of them transforming into gnolls after gorging on the flesh of sentient beings. It is unknown if it was true, but the party was certain they didn't want to be added to those numbers.</p>
<p>However, they were still animals, so Risu suggested, "Can I talk to them first? Maybe they aren't that hungry yet."</p>
<p>After getting the okay for it, Risu produced her mistletoe and started chanting, waving the sprig at the hyenas that approached warily. Slowly, she stepped forward and pointed the mistletoe at each one. Then, she started mimicking their laugh and barks, making as if in communication. One of them, the apparent leader, barked back. After doing that a few more times, the leader laughed and walked off with the others, lying down on the ground a good distance away.</p>
<p>The druid grinned as she turned to them, "They weren't that hungry so they can wait. We might want the servants to hurry up and-"</p>
<p>A loud shriek interrupted her. They spun around and found one of the servants missing. Botan yelled, "Look out!" as that servant suddenly fell to the ground, neck broken and his shirt ripped at the shoulders.</p>
<p>Looking to the sky, they spotted six giant vultures circling overhead. The druid tried calling out to them but when they answered back, she frowned and squinted her eyes. "These birds are nasty," she informed them, "Very greedy and they won't listen. We have no choice but to kill them." With that said, she started making circles above her head as she chanted softly something else.</p>
<p>"Right, here I go then," Aloe declared as she ran forward before flying up to attack the nearest giant vulture. A radiant moonbeam then landed in the vulture's space and seared its body and burned its feathers.</p>
<p>"Tch," sounded Polka as her dart missed. She then ran over to the elephant carcass and shouted to the servants, "Go now! Don't get caught up with this!"</p>
<p>"W-w-we want t-t-to but if we d-d-do, we'd be p-p-punished," stammered one of them as the rest went as fast as they could, cutting through the neck and hammering the thick neck bones. At that time, four of the giant vultures clashed with the succubus while the other two circled downward towards Lamy.</p>
<p>Nene strummed her lute and sang of being under the pressure, getting loud screeching from the annoyed vultures.</p>
<p>"Why is it we don't feel any different when you sing that?" asked Botan aloud as her arrow clipped the wings of a giant vulture.</p>
<p>"The song is more for troubling the enemy than helping us," the bard explained as she swapped out for her rapier. Meanwhile, the cleric summoned her spirit sword to aid Aloe in killing her target while sending a ray of frost at her descending attackers, clipping one in the wing.</p>
<p>"Nice, five more to go!" cheered on the dream druid as she swung her sprig of mistletoe, slowly moving the moonbeam nearer to the elephant.</p>
<p>"And I'm staying on the ground," growled the succubus as she landed next to Polka, her arms and wings covered in gouges and talon marks.</p>
<p>"Glad you're still with us," quipped the monk as she threw another dart, this time at Lamy's attacker. The metal implement dug into its body and remained stuck there. Without warning, two of the giant vultures flew down and attacked them. "Yikes! Get off!" she shouted as the both of them tried to fight them off under the moonbeam. The other giant vultures then started attacking the others on the ground, Lamy's attackers commencing as well while the last one attacked the servants instead.</p>
<p>"Run! Ru-urk" shouted one as he and another died to talon and beak. The others ran away.</p>
<p>"Get them!" urged on the lore bard as she ran forward to attack the nearest one. The archer and the druid complied and helped the cleric to fight back, their efforts grievously wounding it. At the same moment, Aloe, Polka, and Moona took on another, keeping it under the moonbeam long enough to roast it alive.</p>
<p>The giant vultures, their numbers down by half, tried to rally. Two continued to attack while the other dashed away, its body and wings bleeding profusely. That didn't work too well, as Nene and Lamy's spirit sword took one out while Botan shot down the escapee. After giving directions, Lamy moved to the middle of the group and prayed, "I plead, oh goddess, rain your healing down on your beautiful servants."</p>
<p>As rejuvenation was given to Aloe and herself, the moonbeam moved over the final giant vulture. As the attacks against it continued, it tried to fly away but Moona jumped on it and stabbed her dagger through its heart, causing it to crash to the ground dead. As it fell, she ran over to Lamy and healed her, humming a healing note that soothed and renewed.</p>
<p>"Thank you," stated the half-snow elf gratefully. She then topped it off with her healing potion, knowing that sudden attacks may happen the longer they stay here.</p>
<p>Lord Grish barked out an order and several other servants went forward and hurried to finish what was started earlier. He walked over calmly and said, "Well, all of you did well. However, it seems two of my servants have died." He sighed and continued, "Normally, I wouldn't have minded… but… in keeping up appearances, I will have to reduce the reward. I did expect protection for everyone here, after all."</p>
<p>"That will be acceptable, milord," the cleric spoke up immediately before the lore bard could say anything. He nodded and moved back to the group of nobles.</p>
<p>"Why did you accept?" Nene asked in confusion as the rest of them gathered around.</p>
<p>"...I know what it means to 'keep up appearances'. I know all too well," she said cryptically, "He was born a half-orc and a noble. How many of you know of orcs? Of what they could do?" Getting nods from Botan, Polka, and Risu, she continued, " Then you can guess how he came to be? It is already difficult enough to be a half-orc, but to be a noble as well? Monumental."</p>
<p>"...Alright… I guess... " accepted the lore bard with a frown.</p>
<p>Moona put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Well, these are the kind of things you face when dealing with nobles. You sometimes have to expect it."</p>
<p>After these wise words were said, they continued to keep watch. After the elephant's head was harvested, they journeyed back home, leaving the dead bodies to the giant hyenas. It was evening when they reached the city At the north gate, the lord came up to them with a servant.</p>
<p>"Well, thank you for your service. I'll be sure to recommend the guild to the others too," he stated as he held out his hand. The servant placed a bag in it and in turn, he handed it to Nene.</p>
<p>"Thank you, Lord Grish," she replied politely. He nodded and returned to his posse, which moved in with him towards the noble district.</p>
<p>"Well, let's head back to the guild house and divide it up," said Botan as she wrapped an arm around her shoulder.</p>
<p>She grinned and said, "Yes. Let's."</p>
<hr/>
<p>The next day couldn't come any sooner for Botan. The owlbear head. Her trophy. The moment she woke up that new morn, she knew what she must do. The moment she got ready, she almost ran to the tannery, but she kept her cool and headed there. The head looked magnificent. After paying for a few extra things, she brought the head back to the guild house. Miyabi's mouth pretty much fell open when she carried it to the side room. Then, he came to his senses and fetched some tools to help with the mounting.</p>
<p>"Woah! Looks amazing!" exclaimed Polka when the party joined her in the side room.</p>
<p>The lion girl was grinning from ear to ear. "Hi, hi, right?" she stated proudly. Then, she looked at them and asked, "Want to go hunting for another?"</p>
<p>"No!" the other party members exclaimed. The guild clerk just chuckled.</p>
<p>"Hn, tough crowd," she grumbled to herself with a pout</p>
<p>"Hello, how is- wow, cool," exclaimed Doris as she came into the side room, followed by Civia, who said the same.</p>
<p>"I know, right?" spoked up the archer, her face grinning again.</p>
<p>The two quickly passed on a request to Miyabi, who followed them out to process it. Several other members checked out the side room and praised the trophy, making her happier and prouder.</p>
<p>"Alright, enough preening. Let's get a quest," stated Nene in deadpan as she pulled the lion girl by the arm, making her yelp in surprise.</p>
<p>"No worries, I got a good one today," informed the monk as she presented the piece of paper to the guild clerk.</p>
<p>He gave it a good look and sighed. "Right, you have to go to school."</p>
<p>"...Eh?" they sounded.</p>
<p>"It only came in today, if I recall correctly," he explained sternly, which was unusual, "A few of the wizards are going to practice conjuration magics today and they want some extra help just in case things get out of hand."</p>
<p>"Ah… what's that?" asked a puzzled bard.</p>
<p>"A branch of magic," stated Artia as she came up from behind them. She glanced at the owlbear trophy and said, "Ah, impressive." She turned back to the party, which included a smiling lion girl, and explained, "It involves using magic to create, to summon or to send."</p>
<p>"Summon what exactly?" asked Lamy with a frown.</p>
<p>"Well… it can be materials, creatures, or energy," she continued her explanation, "Conjurers can summon from any plane of existence. Skilled ones can even call and bind great beings from their respective planes, summon grand fortresses out of thin air, or even twist the tapestry of fate to create a miracle. And… admittedly, more unscrupulous conjurers could also summon demons. But there won't be anything of the sort going on at the school."</p>
<p>"And we are supposed to be at hand to protect them, am I correct?" the cleric pressed further.</p>
<p>"Well… normally the conjurations are harmless, but the more complicated spells can call beings and animals from other places and they may not always be fond of being summoned," the ice genasi replied, "So, it always helps to have a backup plan."</p>
<p>The half-snow elf nodded in approval.</p>
<p>"Well, let's go then," stated Aloe eagerly, "I think it should be very interesting to see what a couple of novices can pull out. I mean...what really could go wrong?"</p>
<p>Artia then led the party to the school. They went to a large hall-like room. It looked like a normal classroom with a blackboard, teacher's desk, and chair, a shelf of books for referral. The glaring difference was the absence of tables and chairs for the students. Instead, there was a large, heavy table on the side of the room that had several types of reagents and spell components on it. And on the floor, there were several magic circles drawn on in for containment purposes.</p>
<p>"And this is Master Hirto, Conjuration Master of the school," introduced the ice genasi.</p>
<p>The teacher was old but still looking healthy. A neatly trimmed grey beard and combed hair. He adjusted his glasses and said, "Ah, you must be the ones the guild sent over. Please, come in. The examination will be starting soon, and uhm… yes, you can stand at the back of the class. We have… let me see..." He went to his table and picked up a scroll of parchment. "Ah, yes. Five students. Five students for the journeyman test… and one retaker… hmm, alright. That should be all," he announced as he placed it back on the table.</p>
<p>Clapping his hands as he turned to them with an eager look, "Very well, please take your places. Things will begin very soon." Then, focussing on Artia, he then asked, "If you would please assist me in looking out for the students. Direct them in one by one, if you'd please."</p>
<p>"Yes, sir," agreed the wizard and went outside to wait. Soon, a student was sent in, a half-elf. The conjurer master then declared, "Very well! Let us begin the test."</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. Right, the next two quests are short ones. One is playing escort to a noble with a throwaway name. then, we have an observation of a magical exam. Oh, yeah, and Botan got the owlbear head back. She is very, very proud of that achievement.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 14</p>
<p>One by one, the students came into the classroom and displayed what they had learned so far. It ranged from conjuring up ghost hands, making floating disks, making on the floor to be covered in grease, teleportation through mist, shooting spider webs out of their hands, and even creating spinning, floating daggers all around them. And those were just the five students. Nene found herself mystified by it all and wondered if she could recreate some of the spells through her music.</p>
<p>Then, it was the retaker's turn, a halfling from the look of things. He mirrored what was done before; a spectral hand and some teleportation. What he did differently was he summoned his familiar, a raven that appeared in a puff of smoke and alighted on his shoulder. The conjuration master nodded as he made notes on his parchment.</p>
<p>"Very well, you have fulfilled the pre-requisites," he informed the student, "But since you are retaking the test, you were required to perform one more spell of your choice to impress… Whenever you are ready..."</p>
<p>The student nodded and took up his wand once more. Muttering strange, arcane words while making sweeping motions, the party could see something appearing behind him from a point from the ceiling.</p>
<p>Master Hirto gasped and shouted, "Wait, you cannot-"</p>
<p>The roar of water drowned out his order as a tidal wave crashed down from the ceiling. A second later, the conjuration master appeared next to the party in a puff of mist. He turned around and gasped again. The entire half of the room was drenched; the desk overturned, all the parchment, papers, and chair were missing, presumably following the flow of the water out of the class. The books on the shelf were wet through and through. The regents on the large table had all been washed away.</p>
<p>The party noticed Master Hirto trembling as he surveyed the class. The student turned his pale face to look at them and said, "Uh… I'm sorry?"</p>
<p>The master exploded.</p>
<p>"NARC'ZIES!"</p>
<hr/>
<p>After getting paid and leaving the school, the whole party burst out in laughter as they made their way back to the guild house.</p>
<p>"Oh, gods!" Nene exclaimed between breaths, "His face! Ha ha ha!"</p>
<p>"Ha ha ha, I know right, hi hi," giggled Aloe as she leaned on the bard's shoulder.</p>
<p>"Ha ha ha! I think -ha ha- I can hire him as a clown, ha ha," laughed Polka as she tumbled to the floor.</p>
<p>"Get a hold of yourself," admonished Botan, smiling at the monks antics as she picked her up by the waist and hoisted her on her shoulder, "Come on, let's get another request."</p>
<p>"Ah, yes, of course," agreed Lamy, also sporting a similar smile.</p>
<p>"Wait!" called out Artia from behind them.</p>
<p>They stopped and waited for her to catch up.</p>
<p>"Wait a minute," she wheezed as she stopped to catch her breath, "Miss Rushia asked to remind you of her request."</p>
<p>"...Oh yeah! We actually promised to help her, didn't we?" stated the bard when she remembered the request. She quickly informed the rest about it.</p>
<p>"Ooh, Miss Rushia's home before she moved to the city?" the ice genasi muttered eagerly, "I want to go too."</p>
<p>"Ah, it does sound interesting," agreed the archer as the monk wriggled off her shoulder, "Let's do it!"</p>
<p>"Alright. Let's tell Miyabi about it and then go," decided Nene with a grin, everyone voicing their agreement.</p>
<hr/>
<p>However, after some discussion with the guild clerk, they elected to go the next day as the trip will probably take the whole day to get there. Which meant camping outside. So, they went shopping for some preparations. Three sets of tents. Bedrolls for Artia Lamy, who then went to the temple to acquire a few bottles of holy water and some antitoxin.</p>
<p>"Er… do you really have to buy that?" asked Aloe warily when the cleric came back from the temple.</p>
<p>"Yes. We are going to a necromancer's home. I would rather be prepared for whatever evils that are still there," the half-snow elf replied sternly.</p>
<p>"Miss Rushia isn't that bad even though she uses necromancy," protested Artia. "She helped in the defense of the city when that dragon showed up."</p>
<p>"It is still a necromancer's home. I will be prepared," she retorted insistently.</p>
<p>"I agree," spoke up Botan, "Even if she helped, we don't know what she did before that happened. Do you know what happened?"</p>
<p>"...She never really told us..." the ice genasi admitted, now looking a little unsure.</p>
<p>"We should be fine… I guess..." mused Nene as she rubbed her chin. Looking around, she asked, "Where's Polka?"</p>
<p>"Ah, she's in the alley at the back," the lion girl stated, "She said she'll be doing some extra training."</p>
<p>"Eh?"</p>
<hr/>
<p>The sound of flesh hitting flesh came from the alleyway behind the guild house. Polka was quick on her feet, using kicks and punches to try and hit the older man that was still dressed in his fine clothes. And yet, he was able to deftly block each and every strike she attempted. With one hand, no less.</p>
<p>"You are still not moving fluidly enough," stated Aruran as he shoved her off him once again, not once breaking a sweat.</p>
<p>She tumbled through the air and settled in a very unsteady stance. "Ah, I'm doing my best!" she whined, "I really am!"</p>
<p>"I can see that," he replied with a slight nod, "Yet, you still aren't shifty enough, not drunk enough."</p>
<p>"Hng… I'm still not used to this, I think," she muttered while trying to keep her balance semi-steady.</p>
<p>"...Have you been at least trying to use the style in your fights?" he asked as he stepped near her, scrutinizing her stance.</p>
<p>"...Not really?" she admitted, feeling a little uneasy with his careful gaze, "Can't exactly do much against animals…"</p>
<p>"What about the bandits? What about the bugbears? I read the request reports too, don't you know?" he pressed further as he nodded at her shiftiness, "I have a feeling that what you are lacking is confidence. So, the next request you take, use the style and only that style for your fights. None of this brawling you normally do." He then walked back to his original position and motioned to her, "Come again."</p>
<p>With a huff, she tumbled forward into a lowered level and thrust out her punch, followed by two sweeping attacks. The noble just blocked the back of her hand with his palm and then jumped back to avoid her legs. She continued by rising up on one leg and thrusting out with another strike with her hand. Hopping forward into a slide, she pushed herself up with her following leg to send a flurry of strikes to his face. All the strikes were blocked by his palm, circling around her as he did so.</p>
<p>"Much better," he praised, "Knowing when to tense and relax is crucial in switching between the swaying and strength of your blows. However..." He suddenly dashed back and launched himself forward, punching her in the stomach. She flew back and crashed to the ground, coughing and groaning.</p>
<p>"...Anticipating a sudden attack is also something to touch on," he ended as he walked over to her and offered his hand.</p>
<p>The fennec fox girl groaned and reached out to grasp it. "Guh, that hurt," she muttered as she was pulled to her feet.</p>
<p>"Growing pains, young one," he laughed as she patted herself down. He then glanced at the door to the house and saw that it was open with five spectators. He waved and greeted, "Hello there! How are you doing?"</p>
<p>"We're doing fine, sir," the spectators spoke in unison.</p>
<p>"Ër, hi everyone," greeted the monk, waving sheepishly as she winced a little.</p>
<p>"Well, go ahead and take care of your friend. Training is done for the day," Aruran announced as he gestured to her. Her friends then rushed over to talk while he disappeared into the guild house with a smile.</p>
<hr/>
<p>That night after dinner, Polka and Lamy had a bit too much to drink and were being helped back to the guild house. However, in the middle of the road, Aruran suddenly stepped out of the door and said, "Well, a little tipsy are we?"</p>
<p>"Ugh… haro, teasher," the drunk monk greeted with a cheery smile.</p>
<p>"Hello, sir. Umm, you see-" started Botan but was interrupted.</p>
<p>"Oh, no, that's fine… Polka, hands up. It's time to spar," the noble announced.</p>
<p>"Wait, what?" exclaimed Nene.</p>
<p>"Sir, I don't think-"</p>
<p>The lion girl interrupted again as the fennec fox girl pushed herself off and took up her drunken stance. Without warning, she staggered forward in a surprisingly straight line coupled with a flurry of strikes. He blocked them and struck back with several punches, all which she swayed out of the way. She then leaned back and lashed out with her foot, which he checked with his own. He pushed it away and she leaned forward with another strike, which he pushed aside and stepped back.</p>
<p>"Mmm hmm, good, good," he praised as he clapped a few times.</p>
<p>"Awuof," she sounded as she lurched forward.</p>
<p>Hopping into a spinning kick, she landed and spun around with a roundhouse. Both were blocked and he lashed out with his own kick. She twisted her body around until she was leaning backward and started advancing with several strikes. He dashed back, avoiding them, and launched himself forward with a punch aimed at her stomach. She deftly turned out of the way and somersaulted on him as he moved past her, trying to catch him with her feet. He was aware of what she was doing, quickly turning his body and delivering an uppercut to her legs. She spun around in the air a few times before landing on her feet. She fell to the ground and groaned as she grabbed her painful limbs.</p>
<p>Botan ran over to check on her and asked, "Polka! Are you alright?"</p>
<p>"Arr, yesh I yam!" the monk exclaimed before passing out.</p>
<p>The lion girl shook her head and hefted her up in a bridal carry.</p>
<p>"Mmm, I hope she can have more confidence in herself," he mused as he stroked his beard, "I believe she almost got me that time." He then started to walk off and said, "Well, good night everyone. I'll send over a remedy for their hangovers tomorrow."</p>
<p>"Sorry for troubling you and thank you for the help, sir," said Nene politely as she continued towards the guild house, with the archer following after her.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The remedy was surprisingly quite effective. By the time they left, it was reduced to a throb. Leaving by the west gate, they dipped into the forest and took it from there. According to the instructions, it detailed how far and which direction the former living space of the necromancer. However, there was this little thought at the back of Nene's mind that wondered if… there was any danger there. Miss Rushia left the place… why? There has to be a story behind it.</p>
<p>She couldn't tell how long they walked, only that they sated their stomachs with the rations they packed. Aloe barely ate and only sampled the rations. The dried meat agreed with her. Cheese was so-so with her. The dried fruits… although they were relatively sweet, she didn't really like it. The instructions also mentioned gnolls being present deeper in the forest. She didn't feel too worried about that since they had a sizable party after all. She felt confident that they would be able to handle them.</p>
<p>Suddenly, Botan held up her hand and motioned us to duck down. She then peeked around a tree and hissed, "Hide!"</p>
<p>As quiet as they could, they kept to the ground while Botan kept to the tree and peered around. Seconds ticked by before she said, "They're gone." Everyone else relaxed at that point.</p>
<p>"Gnolls?" asked Lamy.</p>
<p>She nodded and repeated, "Gnolls. It was probably a hunting party."</p>
<p>"Thank goodness we have you," stated Artia with a relieved smile.</p>
<p>"Ouh, let's hurry on to Miss Rushia's house," urged on Polka.</p>
<p>"Then again, she never said it was a house," mused Nene before shaking her head, "Anyway, Polka's right, let's go."</p>
<p>"Hn, I'll jaunt away just in case," informed Aloe as she popped into the Ethereal Plane.</p>
<p>However, it didn't take long before they could hear barks and whoops again. Taking care to hide again, they waited for another hunting party to go past them. A deer suddenly burst into the place where they were hiding in and dashed on their way. Hot on its tail, the group of gnolls burst through and chased after it. However, they didn't expect one of them to suddenly tumble over something. The bard thought she heard the genasi yelp and she winced.</p>
<p>The gnoll growled as it got up. It looked around and saw them. In that instant, Botan drew out an arrow and shot it in the throat. It gurgled as it grabbed at the arrow, trying to pull it out. Aloe then popped into existence and twisted its neck, putting it down for good. She then shoved it down and looked around.</p>
<p>"They aren't here anymore," she announced quietly, causing everyone to let out relieved breaths.</p>
<p>"Alright, we move out quietly. No talking, just walk softly and move," the archer told them as she took point. Everyone whispered in agreement and they moved on.</p>
<p>Thankfully, their precautions paid off as they reached the place with no problems. Much to their surprise, it was a ruined temple, overgrown with vines and moss. Part of the wall had fallen, a visible opening for them to go through. As they stepped through the opening, they found themselves in a large hall. There was a circular opening in the middle of the ceiling as well as a large hole in the middle of the floor.</p>
<p>"Hn, this map is weird… I'm guessing this is the entrance?" said Nene as she scrutinized the map.</p>
<p>"Any way to descend?" asked Lamy as she looked around.</p>
<p>"I have some rope we can use to climb down," spoke up Polka as she took it off her pack, "Any place to tie it?"</p>
<p>"Hmm, there are some pitons driven in here," said Botan as she pointed to them, noticing the remnants of rope here, "Someone used them, so they should be secure. We could tie them here."</p>
<p>After stashing their backpacks in a safe, dry place, they tied the rope to the pitons and climbed down. Light was scarce and once the last person stepped on the ground, the monk held out her globe and said, "Shine. Float."</p>
<p>The globe lit up and rose into the air. After their eyes adjusted to the difference in light, they heard something walking towards them.</p>
<p>"The dead are attacking," warned Artia as everyone got ready. One by one, several skeletons walked out, including one wearing a worn chain shirt. With glowing green orbs for eyes, six of them headed straight for them and attacked the nearest person, Polka.</p>
<p>"Watch out, Polka!" called out Nene with worry after her dagger bounced off the lead skeleton's armor scraps.</p>
<p>The monk just smirked and swayed left to right. As if in a drunken stupor, she dodged all of the blades that tried to touch her. She then struck back with a few strikes on the lead skeleton's chest, breaking a few ribs, before cartwheeling away to the side. The skeleton in the chain shirt didn't move forward, but took aim with its longbow and shot at her. She broke her drunken facade to catch the arrow. "No thanks!" she quipped as she threw it back at it, the wooden projectile deflecting off the chain shirt.</p>
<p>"Nice one, Polka," cheered on Botan as her arrow slammed into the lead skeleton's skull, breaking it to pieces.</p>
<p>"With the power of the freezing winds!"</p>
<p>Blue, freezing flames washed over the other skeletons from Artia's outstretched hands. Before they could move towards here, Lamy raised the hand grasping her amulet and declared, "The power of my goddess will wash away all that is horrid!" A wave of the divine washed over the room, the skeletons trembling under the light.</p>
<p>"Nice one, Lamy!" said the bard as she skewered one of the skeletons in the skull, while the rest scattered to the walls. Two each went to the walls nearest to the warrior.</p>
<p>"Time to clean this up!" cheered on the fennec fox girl as she tumbled forward into an unarmed strike, knocking a leg bone out of position and following up with another strike to the neck bone. Aloe silently agreed, having popped out of etherealness beforehand, and simply walked up to the next skeleton and slammed its skull into the wall with her clawed hand.</p>
<p>"Eep!" yelped the ice genasi as the skeleton warrior's arrow scratched her cheek. She frowned and made as if to draw a bow. "With the power of the freezing winds, may this arrow fly true," she muttered as both the archer and her released their arrows. One flew past it while the other splashed on the chain shirt, causing the warrior to flinch.</p>
<p>"The beautiful shine will bring your demise," declared the cleric as she aimed her amulet at it, sending a flash of radiant light at its skull. The lore bard immediately charged at it and ended its second existence.</p>
<p>"Nice! Let's end these-woah!" shouted Polka as she led the charge to finish off the other skeletons. They were mopped up easily enough, the party having focused them down one at the time.</p>
<p>"Right, now that we have removed the interruption, where do we go now?" asked Lamy with some manner of satisfaction.</p>
<p>"Um… tunnel… okay, in the tunnel, take the left branch," Nene stated after scrutinizing the instructions.</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. Right, after some humorous occurrences, we move on to Rushia's task. Before that, Polka needs some further training. After that, we go through the gnoll forest again. Probably not its actual name but what else can you say when there is a whole area inside infested with them? Of course, we end up in a familiar place. Right, what will our new party discover in those very same ruins?</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 15</p>
<p>They made their way down the tunnel single file. There was just enough room for them to stand up and maybe to walk side by side. Following the instructions to the letter, they had no trouble reaching the room at the end of the tunnel. They stepped out into a room. The torches on the side were unlit. A bookcase was in the right corner next to a bed with many old books. A table and a makeshift chair were in the far left corner. Melted remains of candles could be seen in the space between the two corners. In the middle of the room, however, stood the next threat flanked by two skeletons and two skeleton warriors.</p>
<p>Clad in worn studded leather, the undead held a choking man in blue robes as he growled out, "After all I've done, you put me in the ground. Today, I will have revenge."</p>
<p>"Mad... man… tried… murder… my… friend..." the half-elf gurgled out as he fought to breathe in the iron grip.</p>
<p>"Let him go!" shouted the cleric angrily.</p>
<p>The undead's head slowly turned to glance at them. "Release my betrayer? I think not. Who are you to tell me what to do, elf?" it spat out as he threw the man against the wall, knocking him out.</p>
<p>"Tch, a wight," muttered Aloe as everyone else got ready for a fight, "Skilled fighters in life, ruthless in undeath. He will be difficult to put down with normal weapons and can drain a person's life if not careful. Too bad we aren't fighting outside, in the sun."</p>
<p>The wight then unsheathed its longsword, pointed at them, and ordered, "Kill them! Kill them all!"</p>
<p>"As if!" retorted Aloe as she ran forward to slash down one of the skeletons.</p>
<p>"By the power of freezing winds, the drums will shatter to a million pieces."</p>
<p>A loud boom erupted in the middle of the group of undead, the skeleton Aloe clawed breaking to pieces. An arrow went through a warrior's skull while Nene stepped forward, strumming her lute.</p>
<p>"Under pressure, walls closing down on me, surrounding my life, looking down on me."</p>
<p>"Stop that infernal singing!" shouted the wight.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Polka staggered forward to the other skeleton and rammed her shoulder into its chest. With a sudden nudge, she elbowed the skull of its neck and caught it as the rest of the bones fell to the floor.</p>
<p>"Alas, my porridge, I am hungry," she stated aloud as she swayed a few steps back, tossing the skull at the other warrior, who cleaved it in two.</p>
<p>At the same time, the wight and the other warrior converged on the succubus. She yelped in pain as the warrior struck first, cutting through her leathery wing. The wight hemmed her in; she avoided the first swing but the second sliced through her leg, leaving a deep cut. She yelled as the glowing red sword increased in intensity as it sliced through. She tried clawing it in return but she couldn't reach him. The pain was immense as she tried to push the feeling down.</p>
<p>"By the power of freezing winds, I strike with purity and unity."</p>
<p>Magic missiles slammed into the wight and the skeleton warrior, crashing into the former's shoulder and into the latter's skull, disrupting the magic that was animating it.</p>
<p>"Keep it up," shouted Botan as she shot at the remaining warrior, the arrow lodging in its rib cage. Nene kept away her lute and ran forward to attack the same, their blades clashing. Polka then sent rapid strikes to it body, at first not doing much against the chain shirt but eventually hearing a crack as she continued her pummeling. The warrior ground its teeth and swung wide, pushing the bard back while the monk avoided but leaning back under the sword.</p>
<p>The wight tried to continue its attack but a spirit sword suddenly materialized and slammed into its shoulder. It then raised its sword to block the flash of light that Lamy shot at him, stopping his march against Aloe, who still tried to lash out with her claws.</p>
<p>"Rgh, come closer and let me -argh- show you a good time," she growled.</p>
<p>"With every strike, I am empowered. All will die!" he retorted in an enraged voice.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the other four kept their pressure on the other skeleton warrior, the final blow being the courtesy of Polka. The monk had staggered around, putting herself between the wight and the warrior, then she kicked the skeleton in the leg, breaking the shin just as it was getting struck continuously by the others. It fell to the ground in pieces as she stumbled away, her hands flailing as she crashed into the wight… which unfortunately caused the spirit sword to miss, the blade going over the undead head harmlessly.</p>
<p>"Get off my you buffoon," it roared as it shoved her off. It turned to face her but he roared again as a ray of frost lanced over the back of his head. It turned again and swung with all its might, the glowing red blade slicing up Aloe's other arm. Again, she couldn't attack properly. Frost started to form on his hands but he shook them off. An arrow pierced his chest and he pulled it out.</p>
<p>"You cannot stop my vengeance!" it shouted as its blade clashed with Nene's rapier. He pushed her off easily. Suddenly, the fennec fox girl staggered in front of it. She smirked.</p>
<p>"You dare mock me!?" it yelled as it brought the blade down, aimed at her head.</p>
<p>A simple sidestep sent to blade into the ground. Suddenly keeping her balance meant crashing her head against its own. As it reeled back, she hopped and slammed both her elbow and her knee into opposite temples, cracking and fragmenting its skull from within. As she landed, the lifeless body fell over backward, its unlife finally broken.</p>
<p>The battle over, Aloe slumped to her knees, trembling.</p>
<p>"Are you alright?" asked Nene as she rushed over to check on the succubus.</p>
<p>"I can still feel the sword digging into me," she groaned out, "This draining of life doesn't feel great at all."</p>
<p>"At least the fight is over," said Artia as she joined them, "Will you alright?"</p>
<p>"I will. I just need a lot of rest," she informed them with a shaky smile.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Hello, do you need healing?" asked Lamy after kneeling next to the half-elf, who was stirring awake.</p>
<p>"Urgh... gods, where am I..." he groaned. Looking at her, he muttered, "Uh, I don't think so?"</p>
<p>"Then, do you need time to rest for a while?" she asked as she looked him over. He didn't seem to be injured other than the marks around his neck. Still, he looked quite lethargic from lack of sleep.</p>
<p>"Some rest would be welcome," he admitted, "But I don't feel comfortable staying here." Then, his stomach began to growl.</p>
<p>"Ah… Very well. Let us do what we came here to do. Then we can see to getting some food for you," she informed him as she got to her feet.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Ah, we need to take all the books?" asked Botan as she looked over the bookcase.</p>
<p>"That's what Nene says," confirmed Polka, who then frowned, "All our backpacks are back at the ruins… we need to carry them all the way back? What a pain..."</p>
<p>"Hey, we have many pairs of hands here," rebutted Nene, "Each of us can carry a stack out and we'd be done in one go."</p>
<p>"We also need to get him outside," added Lamy, motioning to the half-elf, "I do not know how long he has been kept here, but he does not look too good despite what he says."</p>
<p>"Let us get started then," spoke up Artia, "The sooner we begin, the better."</p>
<p>It took them the better part of an hour, but they divided the books up among them and then made their way back to the ruins. At the large hole, they split the party; a few went up first and they tied the books to the rope to tbe hauled up. The half-elf was a little time consuming, having to fashion the rope into a harness that could comfortably carry him up, but eventually they made it happen. While they packed up the books, they gave the hungry man some of their rations. While he wolfed them down, they got to know him a little better.</p>
<p>"I'm Camryn. My thanks for the rescue," he said gratefully as he slowed down his feeding.</p>
<p>"What do you do for a living, sir?" asked Artia respectfully.</p>
<p>"Please, Camryn is fine. I am actually a traveling craftsman and enchanter," the half-elf told them, "I had learned how to apply permanent enchantments to items in the Candy Kingdom during the past year. I have yet to ply my trade in that area yet as it is a complicated thing to do."</p>
<p>"Interesting… could you enchant our stuff?" asked Botan curiously.</p>
<p>"Hmm, perhaps… it will be somewhat expensive," he admitted, "These aren't the normal magical enchantments that other enchanters use. And unfortunately, most of what I need are not found here… perhaps if we go to a port that actively trades with the kingdom?"</p>
<p>Getting some strange looks from them, he sighed and replied, "I know, I know, it wasn't the wisest decision to do so, but in my defense, I was in my younger years."</p>
<p>"Hey, what else can you do?" asked Polka.</p>
<p>"Hmm, before I decided to learn my craft, I used to play around with fire," he said after a pause.</p>
<p>"Like a fire eater?" pressed on the monk.</p>
<p>"If you say so."</p>
<p>"Join my circus!" she proposed immediately.</p>
<p>"...I'll get back to you on that..." he said, a bit surprised by her eagerness.</p>
<p>After everyone got out and packed up the books, they started their journey back to the capital. It was evening and they had to go through gnoll-infested territory again. Once again, they took precautions and made their way through the area with wary eyes and ears. After a while, they came upon a curious sight. In the middle of a clearing, there were two pack lords growling and yipping as they faced each other accompanied by three gnolls each. They kept as quiet as they could be, trying to go around the clearing and leaving them to do their thing. Unfortunately…</p>
<p>-snap-</p>
<p>Nene grimaced as she stepped on a dry twig. The gnolls stopped whatever they were doing and started looking around. Then, one of them yipped when they caught the glint of Lamy's armor when the bright evening sun bounced off it. One of the pack lords sounded off something between a growl and a roar and they charged down the party immediately.</p>
<p>"Stay back, Mister Camryn. We got this!" shouted Aloe as she took to the sky while Artia started chanting. A loud ringing noise erupted in the middle of the gnolls, causing them to howl in pain. A second later, an arrow got lodged in a pack leader's leg and then burst apart, a heavy force buffeting the group of enemies. Then, a dagger pierced the nearest gnoll's chest, killing it instantly.</p>
<p>All that damage took a toll on the gnolls and two of them turned tail to flee. The others moved in, the pack lords growling the loudest. They barked, urging on the others while they all attacked in unison.</p>
<p>"Gack!" sounded off Nene as the ramshackle glaive, a sharp piece of metal tied to a stick with roots, pierced her studded leather in the side.</p>
<p>"Argh! Get off!" yelled the wizard as the maddened gnoll clamped down on her forearm. It wasn't able to hold on as it got punched in the throat and kicked away by Polka. It swayed and clutched its gurgling throat, its lucky stars saving it from the spirit blade Lamy prayed for. The following frost ray hit a tree next to it instead.</p>
<p>"Putting it down!" cried out the succubus as it landed, her movement helping her claws cleaving through its armor and cutting its flesh. With a push of her legs, she went airborne again before it could do anything. Three arcane darts materialized and shot at the gnoll and its pack lord, peppering them with frigid blasts.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Seeing that she was slowly being cut off from her party, Botan roared and dove into melee, clawing a gnoll in the face. It yelped in pain. Meanwhile, the bard then moved to help her by taking on the other pack lord, stabbing it in the back. It howled, made a sudden turn, and stabbed her twice in the stomach with its glaive. It howled again as it roughly pulled it out and moved to attack the archer, clamping its jaws on her hand.</p>
<p>"Nene!" yelled the monk. Angrily, she did away with all form of her training and just charged straight after the pack lord. She punched it in the face. It growled back and blocked the follow-up kick with the shaft of its glaive.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the cleric's spirit weapon was directed to attack the other pack lord while Lamy sent a ray of frost at it.</p>
<p>"Let us handle it! Get to Nene!" Aloe urged the half-snow elf as she swooped down to rake the pack lord's eyes. It howled but they didn't let up, Artia shooting another ray of frost at it, lancing its foot. The lion girl roared again, clawing the same gnoll in the head again. It yipped and ran away. Its leader barked at it but it didn't listen. That left one gnoll still attacking her, and it stabbed her in the shoulder with its spear.</p>
<p>On the other side, the other pack leader decided to run away as well. Polka kept up the pressure on the remaining one, aiming two continuous kicks to its side. A crack could be faintly heard, a rib breaking. The spirit sword floated over to help but was deflected away as the monk ducked under its swinging glaive.</p>
<p>With two enemies remaining and engaged, Lamy hurried over to the bleeding bard and knelt down to lay her hands on her stomach area. Chanting loudly, the deep wounds healing before her very eyes as the wave of green washed over the bard's body. She let out a sigh of relief, glad to have gotten to her in time.</p>
<p>"Nice!" cheered on the succubus as she swooped down for a fly-by on the pack lord while Botan continued to lash out wildly with her claws.</p>
<p>The last two gnolls, finally realizing that they were outnumbered, tried to retreat and run away. Unfortunately for them, the party had no intention of letting them get away scot-free as they relentlessly attacked before they could even take a step away as they turned around.</p>
<p>"Phew, thank the gods for Lamy," exclaimed the bard as she rubbed her stomach.</p>
<p>"Grr… all good now," growled Botan as she came out of the transformation, "Let's hurry up and get out of this place. I don't want to stumble into any more gnolls."</p>
<p>Getting agreements from everyone, they quickly made their way through gnoll territory. Only after they saw the road did they breathe easy.</p>
<p>"By the gods, do you go through that often?" asked the half-elf with concern.</p>
<p>"Some days, it seems that way," stated the bard.</p>
<p>"But other days, we don't see much either, so it's balanced," quipped Polka.</p>
<p>"It would not be an adventurer's life if it was easy," reasoned Lamy.</p>
<p>"What they said," stated Aloe as she shrugged her shoulders.</p>
<p>"I think you need a weapon, Aloe," said Botan, "You flying around the place is nice but there isn't much else."</p>
<p>"Hmph, what do you suggest then?" asked the succubus as she crossed her arms.</p>
<p>"I don't know… throw daggers like Nene sometimes does?" the former suggested, "If you're interested, I can help with accuracy."</p>
<p>"I can help to teach too," offered the bard as well.</p>
<p>"Ah... sure, why not?"</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. So, it seems the ambient energies that have been there for a long time have enabled some undead to rise up again. Hmm, such is the case sometimes with a former dwelling place of a necromancer/lich. Even if it had passed on. They also rescued someone while retrieving the books. Nice! On the other hand, getting out of gnoll infested territory was not as easy as going in. Thankfully, there are enough people to handle it.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Right, next chapter, we will conclude this and see what Rushia has in store for Holo5. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 16</p>
<p>The next day, Camryn met up with the party and thanked them for their help.</p>
<p>"I'll be studying at the enchanter's here in the meantime to understand the more local techniques," he informed them, "If you wish my help, you only need to ask."</p>
<p>After saying their good days, the party headed for the school.</p>
<p>"Wonderful!" exclaimed Rushia with a smile, "I'm impressed. You actually got all my books."</p>
<p>"It was sort of difficult, but we made it through," Nene reported as she mirrored the smile.</p>
<p>"We fought more undead there, including a wight," spoke up Lamy, "Did you put them there?"</p>
<p>"No. As much as I'd like to raise my fandead, I know well enough how bad it would look if word got out I went overboard to do such things," the teacher rebutted, "I think it's more likely that my… teacher's influence over the area still remained. As for the wight, more likely its eternal hate made use of the lingering energies to return to life… as much as I dislike doing so, I may need to ask someone to go and purify the place."</p>
<p>"But that means they have to go through all those gnolls again..." muttered Botan.</p>
<p>"So that means we have to take them out," stated Aloe as she brandished her clawed hand.</p>
<p>"Hng, the last time we got into a fight, Nene almost took it," interjected Polka, "I don't want that to happen."</p>
<p>"...Well, I suppose I'll have to rely on you to get it done then," replied the necromancer, who then clapped once and said, "Anyway, I believe you deserve a reward for your troubles... Would you like something unique for each of you or something all of you can use?"</p>
<p>They looked at each other and proceeded to huddle together. "What do we do?" asked the bard.</p>
<p>"Maybe we'd get some nice unique stuff," said the fennec fox girl.</p>
<p>"I am not sure of this… that would mean trusting her… gold is preferable though," mused the half-snow elf, "We could use more to buy improvements for our equipment."</p>
<p>"No preference," quipped the succubus, "I think anything we get would be good."</p>
<p>"...I want a special item," said the lion girl hesitantly.</p>
<p>"Trophy?" asked the former.</p>
<p>"Umm… yes?" replied the latter with a blush.</p>
<p>Giggling, the rest of the party turned to the teacher and asked for the unique items she talked about. She giggled in return and said, "I never said it had to be items, now did I?"</p>
<p>Taken aback and wondering what they got into, they nervously awaited what she would give them.</p>
<p>First, she handed a pouch to the cleric. "There is enough diamond dust in here for three diamonds," she informed the half-snow elf, "I believe you can make good use out of it as it is a precious reagent for certain spells."</p>
<p>To the bard, she handed over a book. "I believe bards like you take inspiration from others to weave magic into words and songs," she stated with a smile, "In here lists some basic spells that anyone with the capability to manage the arcane can use."</p>
<p>With the archer, she just said, "I sense something about you. Perhaps, if you wish, I can help you to manipulate necromancy around your arrows."</p>
<p>Then, she handed a piece of paper with a list of things to the monk. "I heard that you like drinking. This should be a very interesting recipe for you to try out," she told her, "The ingredients are easy to get but you will have to wait for a time to have it ready."</p>
<p>To the succubus, she said with a frown, "As for you, I have no idea. I've fought a few devils and demons before but never rewarded any."</p>
<p>Aloe shrugged and replied, "Eh, it would've been nice but I don't mind not getting anything."</p>
<p>""Hmm, they may not see it the same way," she stated as she motioned to the rest of the party.</p>
<p>"Ah, well..."</p>
<p>"In that case, I shall try and see if I can find something for you in my spare time," she continued, making up her mind, "Now, do clear out. My next class is coming in soon."</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Eh, where did Polka run off to?" asked Nene in surprise. After meeting with the teacher, they went back to the guild house.</p>
<p>"Un… she said something about buying supplies and ran to the market," replied Botan with a shrug.</p>
<p>"I am surprised that she would do that," stated Lamy as the party went to the side room, "She must be eager to brew that… what kind of recipe did she get?"</p>
<p>"Alcohol probably?" chipped in Aloe, "Not sure if it's dangerous or not though. We should've looked at it first."</p>
<p>"Heh, at least she has her own gold," snarked the cleric, causing the archer to pout at her.</p>
<p>"Let's ask if the guild has a kitchen anywhere for brewing stuff," grumbled out the lion girl as she headed to the counter, leaving the giggling behind.</p>
<p>"Mister Miyabi? Is there a kitchen in the guild house or do we need to go to Robel's?" she asked the guild clerk.</p>
<p>"Huh, I'm afraid there isn't," he answered as he tidied up the sheath of papers, "Why do you ask?"</p>
<p>"Just something for Polka," she replied as she smiled, "Thank you anyway." She quickly made her way across the street and into the tavern. "Roberu? I need to talk to Kiara," she requested as she entered.</p>
<p>"She's behind," he said as he wiped down the bar.</p>
<p>Saying her thanks, she headed to the kitchen. "Kiara!" she called out as she entered.</p>
<p>"Hello! Hello!" replied the excitable chef as she halted her chicken preparation, "Do you need anything?"</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Are you done?" asked the chef.</p>
<p>The monk had come running into the bar accompanied by the rest of the party. The whole party worked together to wash the ingredients. After drying, water was heated to a boil to cook the grains, then transfer them to a copper pot with all the other ingredients slowly being added in. After that, they filtered out the solids and poured the fresh batch into a glass jug. The whole time, they made sure to stay out of the way of the chef and her helpers.</p>
<p>"It took a long time but we did it!" declared the fennec fox girl cheerfully, "Now we just need to wait!"</p>
<p>"How long?"</p>
<p>"Eh, a few weeks? Maybe more, if the recipe is right," she replied to the half-snow elf. Turning to the chef, she asked, "Can we keep it here for that time?"</p>
<p>"Well… after it cooled down, I'll pass it on to Roberu," the chef told them after thinking for a moment, "Let him know when you leave and everything'll be fine."</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Hmm, I don't think you ever told us you knew how to make… wine? Ale?" asked Nene after they left the bar.</p>
<p>"Well... when the circus my parents were in disbanded, most of them settled down in the same village," Polka explained, looking a little wistful, "The strong man of the circus, a half-orc named Harvog, always made these tasty drinks which he shared with everyone after finishing a show. After retiring, he set up a bar of his own. I liked to play around there and so picked up a few things."</p>
<p>"Have you ever sampled any of his stuff?" asked Lamy as they went into the guild house.</p>
<p>"Um… yes?"</p>
<p>"Hi, hi, should've expected that," chuckled Botan. Turning to Aloe, she addressed her, "Right, let's try and get you some practice time with some daggers."</p>
<p>"Right, we can do this in the alley behind the house," quipped the bard.</p>
<p>"...If you're sure..." muttered the succubus.</p>
<p>"Very well, if you are going to do that for the rest of the day, I shall visit the temple," stated the cleric, "It has been a while."</p>
<p>"What will you be doing then, Polka?" asked the lion girl.</p>
<p>"Eh, I'll figure something out. Maybe get to know a few people here," the fennec fox girl replied as she shrugged.</p>
<p>For the rest of the day, Nene and Botan did their best to teach Aloe. They then visited the blacksmith to get a set of daggers and a bandolier for her. Lamy visited the healing temple. Mostly dedicated to the life domain, all others are welcome as long as they respect the rules as it is neutral ground, welcoming to all. The shrine outside the city is said to operate the same way but she had never been there before. As for Polka, she bumped into a senior team while she was juggling with her darts in the side room. A team of two; Temma Kishido and Leda Astel. She was a little surprised that a noble knight would be willing to contract himself to the guild.</p>
<p>"It isn't so surprising," the knight informed her, "After the dragon attack, much of the nobility was imprisoned for collaborating with it. My father was among them."</p>
<p>"Ah… I'm sorry-"</p>
<p>"You do not have to apologize. I have already come to terms with it," he assured her, "As to why I'm with the guild, I would say I wish to regain the honor of my family that was stained by the actions of my father. I will show my resolve through my actions and hopefully, the people will see that."</p>
<p>"Oh, I guess… good luck with that," she said encouragingly. Turning to his teammate, she asked, "What about you?"</p>
<p>"Ah, well… I've lost my memories and I seek to remember who I was," the lightning genasi stated, "Still… I didn't forget everything. I still remember how to fight and cast spells… which doesn't really explain much. And, I have been seeing a priestess about my condition."</p>
<p>"Oh? For your memories?" she asked.</p>
<p>"Yes. my priestess has been very accommodating," he confirmed.</p>
<p>"That is good to hear, my friend," stated the knight with a smile.</p>
<p>"Yeah, I wish you the best too, Leda," added the monk.</p>
<p>It was then the door swung open and a breathless Artia looked around the room frantically. Rushing up to her, the ice genasi asked, "Where are your friends!? Please, I need help!"</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Eh, what's this?" asked Botan as she picked up the piece of paper. "I will be taking your jewel for myself. Signed, Spade Echo," she read aloud. Looking up to the others, she asked, "Anyone know who's that?"</p>
<p>The rest of the party shrugged but the wizard said, "She's a thief. I'm sure of it."</p>
<p>"Did you tell the guards?" she asked further.</p>
<p>"...No?" was the hesitant reply, "I came straight to find you all. I mean, it hasn't happened yet and I doubt they would want to take action on just a piece of paper."</p>
<p>"Hmm, true. I might do the same," muttered Lamy.</p>
<p>"But how do we catch a thief?" asked Polka, clearly puzzled, "Has anyone caught any thieves before?" They shook their heads.</p>
<p>"Maybe… you stay with us for the night?" suggested Nene, "Maybe we could confuse this Spade Echo person."</p>
<p>"That does sound like a good idea..." mused the ice genasi, "Who do I stay with?"</p>
<p>"I would not mind hosting you for the night," offered the cleric, "Do you have anything you want to bring along with you?"</p>
<p>"Hmm, I'll have to go back to my dorm to look," she replied with relief written on her face, "So, I'll be seeing you after dinner."</p>
<p>When Artia left, the party talked about it further and decided to visit the nearest guardhouse to ask about any thefts happening in the city.</p>
<p>"Hmm, well, if the guild is interested in helping, I guess I can pass on some info," mused the lead guard.</p>
<p>"Well, I'm not sure if I can say this but one of our own has been declared a target," revealed the bard hesitantly.</p>
<p>"You don't say… There have been a few thefts happening too," he informed them, "I can't tell you what was found but the days leading up to the thefts, the owners have been given messages that declared the robbery as well."</p>
<p>"Is anyone looking into this?" queried the cleric.</p>
<p>"Yes. There was this lady investigator they contracted. Moved in a year ago, she did," he replied, "Clever sort. Took a bit of burden off Okayu's hands when she solved a few cases a few months ago."</p>
<p>"Ah, can you direct us to her house? The investigator? I think we'd like to visit tomorrow," requested the bard.</p>
<p>"Sure, sure. If the guild wants to follow up on this, I'll be happy to help," he agreed amicably.</p>
<p>The party went to the bar to have their dinner and met up with the wizard afterward. They had no idea how effective their plan was but it was the best they could do. Lamy slept in the bed while Artia slept in her bedroll, keeping her jewel close to her person instead of in her backpack. Night turned to day and the wizard groaned as she was shaken awake by the cleric.</p>
<p>"Umu… good morning," she murmured as she yawned.</p>
<p>"Good morning," replied the half-snow elf as she took a look around, "Well, it doesn't seem to be broken into."</p>
<p>The ice genasi pat herself down, getting more frantic with each second. "Where is it!? It's gone!" she shrieked.</p>
<p>The cleric hurried over and knelt down to her level, asking, "What? Are you alright?"</p>
<p>The wizard just looked at her and began tearing up, "I… it's not here..." She began bawling her eyes out as she received a comforting hug.</p>
<hr/>
<p>As Lamy tucked her in the bed in Nene's room, the bard quickly got the party together and headed to the investigator's house. It was in the area between the noble district and the more well-off civilians. A small house at the corner of a street, with the other corner on the other side of the street having a guardhouse. A knock on the door brought a shuffling sound coming from inside. The door creaked open and a smartly dressed lady, wearing a plain white shirt and brown pants, greeted them, "Hello, there. Amelia Watson, detective, at your service. How may I help you, ladies?"</p>
<p>"Umm, we need your help," stated the bard, "We know you have been helping the guard with a thief. We need help with that too."</p>
<p>"Oh? Interesting," she mused as she stepped aside and motioned to them, "Please, come inside. Tell me more."</p>
<p>The party filed in and sat down in the small living room off the side. The investigator sat in an armchair while the party filled a couch, a second chair, and a stool brought out from the kitchen.</p>
<p>"Well then, now that we're sitting comfortably, tell me your troubles," requested Amelia as she leaned back in the armchair. She crossed her legs and placed her hands on her knee.</p>
<p>And so, Nene told her what had happened, from the previous night until that morning. All the while, the investigator was listening intently and in deep thought. After hearing her out, she stated, "Interesting. Do you have the message with you?"</p>
<p>"Indeed we do. Here it is," stated Lamy as she took out the message and handed it over.</p>
<p>"Much obliged," thanked the detective, taking the message and scrutinizing it. She then got up and moved to her desk where she pulled out a magnifying glass and examined it further. She then picked up another piece of paper and looked at it as well.</p>
<p>"I see," she muttered, "The curves of certain letters are very similar. This is definitely the same thief. Not to mention the particular smell on each message. All the same smell one could get from a perfumer. The one at the eastern side of the city would have the most similar smell. However, it is most likely that the thief would house his or herself at the inn there as a temporary base and thus, probably irrelevant."</p>
<p>She then turned to the amazed party and said, "Please, take me to the scene of the crime. I must examine the place for clues if we are to catch the thief. If not, it is possible that the stolen goods might be sold and we will lose track of the thief."</p>
<p>"Yes! Of course!" exclaimed the bard, with everyone getting to their feet.</p>
<p>Only pausing to don an Inverness cape and a deerstalker hat with a mechanical arm sticking out of it, she declared, "Very well, let us be off. We have a case to solve. Lead the way."</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. The party receives their rewards and have a bit of fun in the process. However, things take a troubling turn when Artia's Alexandrite gem gets stolen. And who do we turn to? This one!</strong>
</p>
<p>Amelia Watson</p>
<p>Human Artificer/Fighter</p>
<p>Alchemist/Gunslinger</p>
<p>
  <strong>Alright, our local detective will be helping our party find and retrieve Alexandrite. Alchemist for her concoctions a.k.a. experimental elixirs. Gunslinger for Apex. Also proficient in thieve's tools, tinker's tools, and calligraphy. Roudinging up with Investigator and Observant feats.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>And thus, it is time to hunt a criminal. </strong>
  <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 17</p><p>Amelia found herself in Lamy's bedroom. "A windowless area with the only entrance being a thick wooden door with a simple metal latch with no other lock," she analyzed. She then turned to the others and asked, "Does anyone of you know how to detect magic?"</p><p>The cleric stepped forward. Grasping her amulet, she muttered softly, "O goddess, grant me sight to see the weave of magic." And then she gasped.</p><p>"What do you see?" asked the detective.</p><p>"A trail of magic linking my bed and the bedroll to… the entrance of my room," she muttered aloud.</p><p>"So… it is either the thief knows magic or has access to purchase a magic scroll," muttered the detective, "A question though, your friend normally stays in the school dorms, correct?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"And normally, there would be people protecting them. Guards and sometimes other teachers," she reasoned, "Whereas here, she barely needed to do anything. Even simply sneaking into your room would have been enough. However, by putting your friend on guard, the thief maneuvered her into an advantageous position for themselves and outside of the safety of her dorm. This was planned. Even in the other cases, only two others received messages of a similar nature and they were tricked into making mistakes that normally wouldn't have happened. This way, they only needed one spell scroll instead of multiple."</p><p>Turning around and heading towards the doorway, "Now, are there any windows here? Or does this building have access to an attic?"</p><p>"Hold on, I can go down and ask Miyabi!" shouted Polka as she dashed away.</p><p>Amelia walked out of the room and peered at the ceiling. "Ah, a ceiling trapdoor," she declared as she pointed to the barely visible outline and a small indentation, "I believe the thief entered through the roof and made their way down through the trapdoor. Then, they came to the door to your room and used a tool to move the latch inside. A sleeping spell later, they removed your friend's valuables and made their escape."</p><p>"Hello, I believe you need the attic open," called out the guild clerk as he came in with a long pole with a hook. He then pushed up against the indentation and opened up the attic. Then, he turned around and called out, "Polka, the ladder!" He then stepped aside as the monk brought up a sturdy ladder and placed it against the opening.</p><p>The detective went up first, the metal arm extending from her hat and holding a monocle to her eye, and looked around. She looked down and said, "Have you repaired the roof recently, sir?"</p><p>"Not recently," he informed, "It will be due in a few months."</p><p>"I see," she muttered as she made her way down, the metal arm retracting, "It is apparent that while there are shifts in the tiling, the gaps aren't large enough for a human. There are also visible footsteps in the dust of the loft. So, I believe they might have access to a spell or an item that helps them with transformations. Interesting." She hiccuped and continued, "I have seen enough here. Come with me, everyone. We will now meet up with my counterpart in the guards. Let's go, ladies."</p><p>The party followed her out of the guild house, Polka rushing after them after putting away the ladder. They made their way to a different guardhouse where she met with a cat girl, who was talking to a guard. She waved at them and greeted, "Mogu, mogu, what's up?"</p><p>"There's been another theft, Okayu," stated the detective as she motioned to the party, "Their friend has had a jewel stolen. Have you heard from your sources yet?"</p><p>The urban bounty hunter nodded and replied with, "Prasadiv."</p><p>She groaned as her shoulders slumped, "Of course that rakshasa is somehow involved with this."</p><p>"Well, I heard he is meeting someone at his normal watering-place later tonight. Need backup?" asked Okayu.</p><p>She nodded. Turning back to the party, she stated, "I presume you want to join us?"</p><p>"Yup," quipped Nene, popping the P, "We want to get Artia's gem back."</p><p>"Yeah!" cheered the others.</p><p>"Very well. Meet us here again in the evening and Okayu will lead us to the tavern he frequents," ordered Amelia, "Then, we will gain our answers."</p><hr/><p>The party, Amelia, and Okayu stood outside the Broken Stool tavern. It sounded loud and rowdy inside.</p><p>"Alright, everyone knows what to do, yes?" questioned Okayu as she turned to them, "Nene, Botan, Lamy, and Polka will go in and flush out whomever Prasadiv is meeting. Aloe will watch the entrance. I'll be watching from the roof in case they try to run. Amelia will go around the back to make sure they get caught."</p><p>"Already there," affirmed the detective as she headed out.</p><p>"Alright, people. Move out and try not to cause too much trouble inside," warned the cat girl as she ran to the side and scampered up the side of a building.</p><p>Nene turned to the others and said, "Alright, let's do it."</p><p>"Be safe," said the succubus as she took to the sky. The four then walked up to the doorway and went in.</p><p>The level of sound increased as the sound of people talking and the slamming of flagons on the wooden tables became more apparent. Raucous and boisterous laughter could be heard all around them. They took a look around. The din of the cacophony was quite disturbing but Lamy's sharp eyes spotted the rakshasa. He matched Okayu's description of him. He was in the corner of the tavern, speaking with someone in dark leathers. Motioning to the others, they headed to Prasadiv's table.</p><p>Unfortunately, a few seconds later, the rakshasa noticed them. He said something and the person turned around. A pink-haired girl with bright green eyes that narrowed when she caught sight of them. She then sprinted away, tossing something behind her. A flagon of ale that crashed into someone's head. That person spun around, roaring indignance and started to punch down another. The loud bar then descended into a brawl. Lamy and Nene took cover behind an upturned table. Botan stayed with them, punching and pushing the brawling patrons away. Polka just grinned and jumped into the fight, taking every chance to take a swig of ale while treating this as a chance to put her tutelage into practice. It wasn't long before she was the only one standing among the unconscious bar patrons, getting a standing ovation from Prasadiv.</p><p>"Wonderful! Wonderful performance!" he exclaimed with a big smile, "In return, please tell Prasadiv what you need. It will be done free of charge."</p><hr/><p>Amelia waited patiently, keeping an eye on the backdoor. The door suddenly burst open and a shadowy figure dashed on through.</p><p>"Halt! You're under arrest," she shouted. The figure was stunned for a moment and with a burst of speed, ran the opposite way.</p><p>"Stop! Why are you running!?" she continued to shout as she ran after the figure.</p><p>The alley was rather clear and she was able to keep up easily. Unfortunately, the same could be said for the figure. Suddenly, they ducked and avoided several bolts which got lodged in the wall. Then, skidded to a halt when the next bolt flew right in front of her. The detective then pulled out her pistol and took aim.</p><p>"Last warning! Surrender now!" she shouted.</p><p>The figure ignored the warning and scrambled forward. She pulled the trigger. She missed and the bullet ricocheted off the ground into the air. The sound still startled them and they fell backward. Then, a dark figure leaped off the roof and landed on them.</p><p>"Please stay still," requested Okayu as she rested her shortsword on their neck, "I wouldn't want to cut anything important."</p><p>The figure shrieked and whimpered a little. Amelia jogged over to see who it was. A female human in dark-colored leather armor. Bending over and dipping her hand into her pouch, she pulled out a gleaming purple gemstone.</p><p>"Well, I believe this belongs to someone else," the detective stated as she peered at the jewel in the moonlight.</p><p>"Alright, I'll be taking her to the guards," stated the cat girl as she hauled the thief to her feet, "Go ahead and let the others know." Then, she dragged her out of the alley by the arm.</p><p>"Sure thing," she agreed, pocketing the gem.</p><hr/><p>"In return, please tell Prasadiv what you need. It will be done free of charge."</p><p>The party looked at each other in confusion. "What?" Polka finally said.</p><p>"Ah, you don't know who is Prasadiv?" questioned the rakshasa. Getting negatives from the party, he exclaimed, "Unbelievable! Prasadiv must remedy this."</p><p>"You know, we are with the guild… we don't normally find people like you," stated Nene.</p><p>"Hmm, true, true," he replied with a hum, nodding a few times in understanding, "But! Those needing access to rare and magical items would come to Prasadiv, so it is best to know Prasadiv sooner than later."</p><p>"Oh? Hmm, maybe..." murmured Botan as she rubbed her chin in contemplation.</p><p>"You know, if you could come with me to the guards and tell us about the thief, I would be grateful," quipped Amelia as she stepped through the backdoor.</p><p>"Ah, is that all? Easily done!" stated Prasadiv with a snap of his fingers, "Very well! To the guardhouse!"</p><p>Hence the detective and the party escorted the rakshasa to the guardhouse to take his statement. They went out the front door and got Aloe to follow them. Unfortunately, they underestimated the thief and much to Okayu's and the guard's embarrassment.</p><p>"Apparently, the thief had a smoke bomb on her and she dropped it as I was passing her on to the guards," the cat girl informed them with a blush.</p><p>"Ah, Spade Echo is very resourceful," quipped the rakshasa, "Prasadiv has been quite impressed."</p><p>"Spade Echo… does she have any magical items on her?" asked Amelia.</p><p>"She bought a bat cloak from Prasadiv," he said truthfully with a shrug, "Paid with gold. Prasadiv does not ask where she got it, only that Prasadiv receives payment for services."</p><p>"Tch, at least we know what she has," stated Okayu as she wrinkled her nose, "The smoke bomb smelled homemade. Burnt ashes and such."</p><p>"From a fireplace," added the detective. Turning to the party, she said, "Well, you five provided quite a lot of information concerning this Spade Echo. Here, I suppose we can return this to your friend." She then tossed the gem at them, which Nene caught neatly.</p><p>"Thank you very much, Miss Amelia," the bard said gratefully.</p><p>She smiled in return. Turning back to the cat girl, she stated, "Very well. Time for us to catch the thief. The chase is on."</p><hr/><p>"Thank you so much!" exclaimed Artia gratefully as she hugged each and every one of the party with tears of happiness falling down her face.</p><p>"It seems you care much for that gemstone," stated Lamy, "I admit, I am curious as to why."</p><p>The ice genasi took a moment to brush off her slowly crystalizing tears and explained, "I found it in the ashes of my home. My… my family died in a fire and… this is all I have left to remind me of them." She looked at each party member and said, "I am eternally grateful to you all. If you need any help, just name it and I will do my best to help." Then, she brushed away more tear ice that formed as she added, "Ah, thank you for having me, but I think I better be going now. I shall be returning to my dorm."</p><p>"Please, allow me to escort you back," requested the cleric. Getting a smiling nod, she followed the genasi out of the guild house.</p><p>"Well, that's enough for one night," quipped Aloe with a grin as she headed out as well, "Good night, everyone. We did alright." She wasn't looking ahead when she bumped into someone that was coming in.</p><p>Aruran chuckled and said, "Be on your way now. I think you need rest as well." The succubus muttered her apologies and went on her way, but not before sending a suspicious glance at him.</p><p>Meanwhile, the rest of the party greeted the noble, who replied, "Good evening. Polka, You seem to have gotten into a fight. How did you fare?"</p><p>"Hi, hi, I beat everyone and won," she stated proudly as she thumbed to herself.</p><p>He chuckled a bit and said, "Well done…. Well, I think you had better turn in. The night is long and everyone needs their sleep."</p><p>"Ah, then, good night, sir," the three wished him before heading up the stairs.</p><p>Nodding at them, he then looked around before he headed to the trapdoor that led to the basement. Time went by and Lamy came back and headed upstairs. Then, a few other guild members left the side room, followed by Miyabi, who snuffed the candles and closed for the night. Time went by before Aloe popped into existence inside the guild house.</p><p>"<em>Right, time to find out why he felt so cold</em>," she mused mentally as she headed straight for the trapdoor. Only the basement held questions as she had explored the rest of the guild house save for the attic. Tugging the trapdoor open, she descended down the wooden stairs as quietly as possible.</p><p>Much to her surprise, the basement was spacious and lit. Light shone from a wood stove, its faint smoke flowing out to a grille on the side of the wall. Next to the stove was a small side table and a large armchair with a tall backrest. On the opposite wall were two bookshelves filled with books. Beside it was a wine rack, fully stocked. The more concerning piece of furniture was a large coffin at the far end of the room. The man himself was sitting in the chair, a bottle of wine and a glass half full of the alcoholic beverage on the table. He was busy reading a book, presumably from the bookcase, the faint rustle of pages turning being heard once.</p><p>Her fiendish heart skipped a beat when he said, "I thought you would be resting, Aloe Mano. What brings you here?"</p><p>She heard the dull thud of a sudden closing of a book and he placed the book on the table. Then, he got out of his chair and turned to face her. She was scared out of her wits. Was she going to die? She heard of vampires before. To have survived so long, in the capital city no less, meant that he was quite powerful. If anything, she should have disappeared there and then. But then, he made no move against her. What was his game?</p><p>He then pulled out a pipe from his overcoat and a small bag. Tipping some tobacco in, he then produced a piece of paper and went over to the stove. "Well? I'm waiting," he said as he lit the paper and in turn, lit his pipe, "What brings you here, Aloe Mano?"</p><p>Seconds ticked by and she slowly got over her fearfulness and replied, "I just… wanted to know why you felt so cold." She hoped that honesty would amuse him enough to let her go.</p><p>To her surprise, he laughed and stated, "You do realize the saying 'curiosity killed the cat' could apply to you right now. Now, the question is… what will you do with this information?"</p><p>Her face scrunched up as she thought this through. On one hand, she could tell everyone and turn everyone against him… and possibly get her new friends in trouble just by association. On the other, she could keep quiet and have this held against her like a sword above her head… with her friends none the wiser… and safe. Oh, the urge to cause trouble is strong. And the amount of souls she could possibly bring to her side in the ensuing chaos. She could easily escape and tell the world. But…</p><p>"Why did you create the guild?" she found herself asking, suddenly having more questions popping up in her mind. If a vampire is supposed to be evil in action and behavior, why do all this?</p><p>"A very good question," he replied as he smirked, spinning the chair around and sitting down, "To be honest, it started as a whim. However, as time went on, it started looking like a good idea. The city getting back on its feet helped to push its benefits. Not to mention… hiding in plain sight."</p><p>Then, he leaned forward and asked again, "You still didn't answer me, Aloe Mano… what will you do with this information?"</p><p>
  <strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. Glad tidings! Holo5 has successfully gotten Alexandrite back and has returned it to Artia. Not to mention I forgot to put a small description for Spade Echo.</strong>
</p><p>Spade Echo</p><p>Human Rogue</p><p>Thief</p><p>
  <strong>Full rogue. Has Cloak of the Bat to facilitate getting around in the city. Any other tools she has are homemade stuff. She has been quite lucky that none of the homemade stuff didn't blow up in her face.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>And after that, a little more is revealed about our enigmatic guild master.</strong>
</p><p>Arurandeisu a.k.a. Lord Aruran Daiso</p><p>Guilty Gear inspired Vampire</p><p>Way of the Open Hand monk with fighter dip (2 levels)</p><p>
  <strong>So, a vampire. The first thought did not bring me to the normal vampire type in D&amp;D, but instead, I first thought of Slayer from Guilty Gear. He is a vampire too, a lineage traced back to Nosferatu. In his case, the dandy gentleman traces his roots back to the first vampire in this world as well. Coupled with high levels of monk and training in other areas, some vampire weaknesses are canceled out.</strong>
</p><p><strong>As for Aloe answering his question... well, I rather leave it hanging and address it many chapters down the line if you don't mind. And it will be addressed, mind you. Right. </strong> <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 18</p>
<p>That morning, the party gathered at the side room of the guild house. Four of them seem to be well rested but Aloe looked lethargic.</p>
<p>"Hey, are you alright, Aloe?" asked Nene with concern.</p>
<p>"I'm… fine… sort of..." muttered the succubus tiredly, "I just found out something… very strange last night."</p>
<p>"I hope you're alright," said Polka. Turning to Lamy, she asked, "Is there any remedy for this?"</p>
<p>"I do not think-"</p>
<p>"My priestess might be able to help with that."</p>
<p>The party looked to the door and the monk greeted, "Hallo, Leda. Your priestess can help?"</p>
<p>"Indeed. Would you like to meet her?" he offered.</p>
<p>"Ah. If it helps Aloe, why not?" chipped in Botan.</p>
<p>"In that case, please follow me," he said as he led them out into the street. They then spent a while walking before ending in front of an ordinary building. A little too ordinary, as if it was trying a little too much to blend in with the environment.</p>
<p>He went up to the door and knocked. After a few seconds, the door opened and a hooded figure answered the door.</p>
<p>"Hello. I bring seekers of help," stated the lightning genasi. The hooded figure nodded and gestured inside. The interior was surprisingly spacious, as if the living room and dining room had merged into one room. The stairs in the corner and a door leading to the back.</p>
<p>The hooded figure then said, "Follow." He then led them upstairs to another large area with doors leading to several rooms. In the middle was a table and a set of chairs. In one of them sat a robed lady sporting shoulder-length tresses and pointed ears. She wore a strange ornament that adorned her front bangs.</p>
<p>"Ladies, I present Priestess Ina'nis," introduced the genasi warlock.</p>
<p>"Greetings to all. Please, have a seat," greeted the lady as she gestured to the chairs. Aloe, Nene, and Lamy took a seat while the other two stood behind them.</p>
<p>"Priestess, these are the ones you requested," stated Leda as he stood by her side.</p>
<p>"Thank you, Leda. You have done well," she stated as she reached over for the succubus' hand. "Here, let me take that for you," she stated as her hands started glowing.</p>
<p>Aloe blinked in surprise as the tiredness left her face and she sat up straighter, her body renewed with energy. "What happened?" she muttered, "As if I had a good night's sleep."</p>
<p>The priestess beamed and said, "Glad to be of service… Now, we have other things to worry about." Suddenly, the curtain was drawn and a candle was lit and placed in the center of the table by the warlock.</p>
<p>"Thank you, Leda," she stated as she focussed her attention on the uneasy party, "Now that I have your attention, I believe the path before you currently is a perilous one."</p>
<p>"What are you talking about?" asked Lamy as she fidgeted in her seat.</p>
<p>"You will be going on a journey to help one of yours. Though, I wouldn't worry, you five are quite capable," she stated with a serene smile, "Yes, quite capable." And she looked at each one of them and stated…</p>
<p>"A tribal warrior touched by the Feywild..." to Botan.</p>
<p>"A fighter hiding behind a tipsy performance..." to Polka.</p>
<p>"A healer of motherly kindness..." to Lamy.</p>
<p>"A seducer with great loyalty..." to Aloe.</p>
<p>"And a singer that brings the world together..." to Nene.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Nene had no idea how the priestess knew all that about them when she had only met them for the first time. It was a creepy feeling the very moment that the curtain was drawn, which magnified when she said those words. She then stood up and moved towards the bard, touching her chin with the tips of her fingers and muttered, "Such a bright future."</p>
<p>Her head involuntarily glanced to the side and what she saw freaked her out. The shadow of the priestess cast by the candle was more than it seemed. She saw further protrusions growing out of her head. She saw a shadow in the shape of a halo above her head. She saw a large mass of what could only be called tentacles growing out of her back and reaching for the ceiling. She could also feel a clammy, cold sensation where her fingertips touched her chin. Very unnerving.</p>
<p>The priestess then stepped away and moved towards her room. "Leda, send them on their way, please. And you are free to go about your day."</p>
<p>"Yes, priestess," he complied as he stepped up to them and motioned to the stairs.</p>
<p>A shiver went down her spine as she glanced at her door while walking down the stairs. She couldn't explain what she saw. She couldn't understand what happened.</p>
<p>"Are you alright?" asked the genasi suddenly.</p>
<p>"Ah, I'm fine," she quickly said with a smile, smoothly schooling her expression. Then, she asked, "Are you heading out for anything?"</p>
<p>He shook his head and replied, "No. Temma is busy with something today. I'll be taking time to relax." Then, he opened the door for them and motioned outside, "If you would please?"</p>
<p>After the party exited the house, the door closed behind them. They hurried back to the guild house, Nene being eager to put some distance between her and it. When they reached the guild house and went inside, they found Artia and Doris waiting for them.</p>
<p>"Where have you been?" the genasi asked in a questioning tone, "I have been looking for you."</p>
<p>"Sorry, we were helping Aloe with something," the bard apologized, "What did you need?"</p>
<p>"Well… I will be returning to my home and I was hoping to get some protection on my journey home," stated the mermaid triton.</p>
<p>"We get to visit your home?" asked Nene in amazement.</p>
<p>"Oh, it does sound good," muttered Botan, thinking of possible trophies.</p>
<p>"Woah, let's go, let's go!" urged Polka eagerly.</p>
<p>"Enticing. I do wish to walk under the sea,' mused Lamy, thinking of the beautiful vistas she could possibly see with her own yes.</p>
<p>"Hmm, the first one under the sea… me likey," chipped in Aloe.</p>
<p>"Then it is settled! Thank you so much!" said Doris gratefully as she bowed, "Is it alright if we leave today?"</p>
<p>"Eh?"</p>
<hr/>
<p>An unexpected request, but the party quickly got over their surprise and gathered their stuff together. It was a simple thing as their backpacks were always ready to be taken every morning. They didn't need to worry about transport as the mermaid had hired a coach cab. Not a cart, but a full stagecoach, as well as a porter. It was at the place where she was staying and her travel chest was securely strapped down at the back. As for seating arrangements, Polka sat on the roof with the porter, Botan sat with the driver, while Doris, Nene, Lamy, and Aloe sat inside.</p>
<p>The journey was quite speedy and they quickly went through Solena and Greenwish, only stopping at the gates. Past the latter town was a long stretch of lonely road through the forest to Nikubasa, where they were supposed to hire transport across the desert. However, halfway to the desert border town, the cab suddenly came to a halt when a crossbow bolt slammed into the driver's seat in the middle of the driver and Botan. Then, several shouts came out of the surrounding forest and two half-naked, muscular bandits wielding greataxes ran straight for them.</p>
<p>"Drive on!" she shouted as she unshouldered her bow and moved to the roof.</p>
<p>"What is going on?" called out Doris in a terrified tone.</p>
<p>"We're under attack!" the archer yelled out as she shot a berserker bandit charging out of the forest. It missed but the dart that followed didn't. Both of them tried to jump on the moving carriage. One managed to grab on the horse and clambered on while the other jumped on but lost his grip, tumbling over to the side.</p>
<p>"Fire!" shouted someone ahead of them. A volley of crossbow bolts flew at them. Two got stuck in the lion girl's legs while one killed the driver, whose body slumped over the side and fell out.</p>
<p>"Botan! Anyone! Get the horses under control!" shouted Nene as Aloe burst out of the door of the carriage and swerved to attack the berserker on the horse while Lamy leaned out and tried to shoot a frost ray at him. However, the shaky carriage made it very difficult to get a hit in and they missed.</p>
<p>"They have crossbows!" shouted the archer as she grabbed the reins and tried to get the horses under control. A sudden song filled the carriage as Doris suddenly sang in a language they didn't understand and a wall of water appeared in front of the thundering carriage, absorbing the second volley of bolts, save two that got stuck in the succubus' shoulder.</p>
<p>"Let me try!" cried out the monk as she crawled down to the driver's seat as the horses suddenly slowed down under Botan's management. It wasn't really her fault as the berserker didn't let up and managed to slice her arm open as she tried to do two things at the same time. Polka whipped them several times and the horses bolted, thundering forward and bursting through the water wall, knocking over the bandit leader at the same time.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the second berserker managed to catch up during the slowing down and grabbed onto the carriage. At the same time, Aloe landed on the roof and locked eyes with him. "Hey handsome, care to stay awhile and listen?"</p>
<p>His eyes glassed over and muttered, "Yes, mistress."</p>
<p>"Get off the carriage gently. Try not to harm yourself too much," she requested.</p>
<p>"Yes, mistress," he listened as he released his hold and tumbled on the ground, laying still as he came to a stop.</p>
<p>The carriage had one guy left hanging on, so Botan grabbed the greataxe and pulled, unbalancing the berserker. She then threw him off the horse, sending him crashing to the ground as they sped by.</p>
<p>"Shoot them! Shoot them!" shouted the captain. Once again, the volley of bolts rained against the back of the carriage. This time, the succubus deigned to protect the porter Doris hired, getting two bolts in her wings for the trouble. The bandits couldn't do anything else except watch them speed off towards the next town, cursing them as they got further and further away.</p>
<p>Aloe moved over to the entrance and asked, "Is everyone alright in here?"</p>
<p>"Yes, we are!" shouted Lamy as the carriage went over a stone, "Slow down! No one else is attacking us!"</p>
<p>"Alright! Alright!" shouted back Polka as she tried to get the horses under control again. Thankfully, they obeyed and slowed down to a canter.</p>
<p>"By the gods… I never experienced that before," muttered Doris as she calmed down.</p>
<p>"Ah… this is normally what happens, I guess," replied Nene sheepishly, "Things are just that..."</p>
<p>"Hng, I've heard of that before… never thought it would happen to me," the mermaid moaned as she leaned back, seemingly exhausted by it.</p>
<p>The carriage reached Nikubasa in good time. They left it at the stables as well as let the proprietors know what had happened to the driver.</p>
<p>"Ever went over the desert?" asked Nene with brimming curiosity.</p>
<p>"We have," quipped Polka, "We joined a merchant caravan in Huan Tuo to get to the capital."</p>
<p>"Yeah… we don't have deserts in Gekko so it was a new experience," added Botan as she looked towards the vast expanse, "It was a very dry experience."</p>
<p>"Ah, so… do we have any transport over the desert?" asked Aloe as Lamy and Doris walked over from the stablemaster.</p>
<p>"Unfortunately, the camel train was already hired out. We just missed it," informed the mermaid.</p>
<p>"Not to mention that if we need to use camels, we need to buy them..." continued the half-snow elf, "...as well as all the extra additions that came with them. Saddles for each camel and extra space for strapping down our backpacks. In my opinion, it is not worth purchasing if we only want to cross the desert once."</p>
<p>"So… we're crossing the desert on foot?" asked the bard, looking a little worried.</p>
<p>"Well, if you do not mind the detour to Port Viridis, we have to cross the desert," stated the mermaid, "And to be honest, I would prefer not having sand in my feet but… the message I got sounded like something important was happening and I had to get home as fast as I could."</p>
<p>"If it truly is that urgent, I would suggest keeping with the current pace and cross the desert," recommended the cleric.</p>
<p>"Hah, let's hurry up, I guess," agreed the archer as she shrugged, "We still have enough light to travel as far as we can, so let's get going."</p>
<p>In the face of that convincing argument, the mermaid triton relented. After stocking up on waterskins, the group stepped onto the hot sands and began traveling by foot. They walked as quickly as they could, over several dunes as the sun slowly dipped behind the horizon. They almost got caught in a fight between a few giant scorpions and a pair of bullettes but thankfully, the monsters were too busy trying to kill each other to notice them. Lucky for them as well as they didn't slip and tumble down the dune they were on. They reached a ruined area with no visible entrance which Botan and Polka said was a normal pitstop for traveling merchants. The triton requested them to stand in the middle of the area with her, and then asked them to give her a moment to cast something, so they obliged and waited patiently for her to finish,</p>
<p>She took out her lyre and started strumming a haunting melody. After getting into the music, she started singing...</p>
<p>
  <em>I'm coming home,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I'm coming home,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Tell the sea I'm coming home,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Let the waves wash away,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>All the pain of yesterday,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I know my kingdom waits,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>My father greets me at the gates,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I'm coming home,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Yes, coming home,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Tell the sea I'm coming... home…</em>
</p>
<p>Very slowly, a blue aura shot upwards and fell around them like a shimmering dome. She then breathed a sigh of relief and said as she turned to them, "There. We can stay safely in the dome for the night."</p>
<p>"Er, what did you just do? What was all that?" asked Nene in confusion.</p>
<p>"Well, step outside the area and see."</p>
<p>At her urging, the group stepped outside. They gasped as they found a blue, opaque dome covering their sleeping area.</p>
<p>"Wah..." gushed the party as they went around and examined the dome in various places.</p>
<p>"So, we can go in and out freely?" asked Polka in amazement as poked her head into the dome.</p>
<p>"Yes," confirmed the mermaid bard as she sat down on the paved stone of the ruins, "If I cast it while you are inside, you are allowed to pass through freely as long as I stay inside. It is also very safe to stay here as nothing can attack us from the outside."</p>
<p>"Cool!" exclaimed the monk as she stepped in, "This is an amazing spell!"</p>
<p>"Yeah!" agreed Botan as she stepped in as well, "Right, I think we should eat up and turn in for the night."</p>
<p>Everyone else agreed with her whole-heartedly. As they took out their dry rations and shared their waterskins around, they chit-chatted amongst themselves. And it was mostly grilling Doris on life under the sea. After a while, they turned in for the night, with the mermaid triton dimming the light in the tiny hut to help them fall asleep under the starry night.</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. After that unsettling night, the party visits Leda's priestess. Cue the face of the Tentacult. After a hint of horror, we go back to the guild and get a new request. Time to escort Doris home.</strong>
</p>
<p>Doris</p>
<p>Triton Mermaid</p>
<p>Lore Bard</p>
<p>
  <strong>Mermaid princess from the deep seas. Not much to say about this.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Although, on a side note, this whole 'bringing Doris home' arc was being written out during the very stupid China fiasco. Sad to hear Hololive CN is graduating but what can you do? Fanatics can't be reasoned with.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>And thus, it is time to bring her home. </strong>
  <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 19</p>
<p>Nene yawned as she rose from her sleep and stretched. Rubbing the sand from her eyes, she looked around and her eyes widened as the entire dome seemed to be covered by whirling sand. She got to her feet in a hurry and approached the barrier. As she tried to touch it, a scrambling sound could be heard and an ugly thing crashed against it, prompting a surprised yelp. The dust mephit shook its head, hovered off the ground and flew off. She yelped again when she felt a hand on her shoulder.</p>
<p>"Surprised?" asked Doris as she smiled at her before looking outside in amazement, "I heard of sandstorms like this but it is another thing entirely to see it with your own eyes… We may have to wait for a while."</p>
<p>One by one, the others woke up as sand scratched and the odd piece of stone scratching the tiny hut. Everyone waited patiently for the sandstorm to end. It didn't end but instead moved off. Nene could have sworn she saw a pair of glowing, yellow eyes staring at the dome at one point. Just as the storm cleared up, a large piece of ruin suddenly slammed on the top of the dome. The barrier didn't break, but Doris urged everyone to pack up and get ready to move.</p>
<p>As the sandstorm moved away, revealing clear skies, Doris ordered, "Alright, get out of the area please."</p>
<p>The party and the porter moved outside, and after making sure they had cleared the hut, she stepped out after them. The shimmering dome winked out of existence and the ruined piece, a broken part of a pillar, crashed to the ground unhindered.</p>
<p>The mermaid turned to them with a smile and said, "Well, let us continue. Huan Tuo awaits."</p>
<p>And so, they continued on their journey to the port city. The sun rose higher by afternoon and the triton's water intake increased, already going through two waterskins. As the walk continued, Nene said, "Erm, am I seeing things? Is someone approaching us?"</p>
<p>"You are not seeing things," replied Lamy as she wiped her brow, "It looks like a merchant of sorts."</p>
<p>As both sides neared each other, the group saw that it was a lizardman with a large pack with several things hanging off it. When he spotted them, he called out, "I greet you, travellersss. Do you wish to perussse my waresss?"</p>
<p>The group looked at each other in confusion. Then, Lamy spoke up, "Forgive me for saying this, but what? We are on our way to Huan Tuo, we are hot and tired, and you wish us to peruse your wares?"</p>
<p>He shrugged and said, "You are confusssed. That much isss underssstandable. Sssurely you can ssee that by being a ssseller of waresss, one mussst take all chancesss to make a sssale."</p>
<p>"Alright, alright, no need to fight," interrupted Polka before the cleric could say anything else, "Here, let me see."</p>
<p>"But of courssse," he replied with a pleased tone as he unshouldered his pack of knick-knacks.</p>
<p>"Go on ahead," she urged the others, "I'll catch up, no worries."</p>
<p>Getting nods from the others, they went on their way as the monk looked into his pack. True to her words, she did catch up eventually.</p>
<p>"So, what did you get?" asked Botan.</p>
<p>"Ah, I got this," she stated as she held up her purchase. It was a small glass jar with a large stopper. In it was a viscous white ointment that seemed to have several odd chunks of dubious origin in it. "He said it's some sort of healing ointment for burns from some far off jungle," she continued to explain, "It's supposed to be really good, but the way he said it… I'm not sure if he said the truth or not."</p>
<p>"Eh… we'll see about that... if we get into a fight," muttered the archer with disbelief.</p>
<p>Thankfully, they didn't have to try out the ointment as nothing else tried to attack them. After the sun started to drop down from its apex in the sky, they eventually saw the city in the distance. It was still far away but it gladdened their hearts to see it. However, a few miles down the road, Lamy thought she saw something sticking out of the sand. She thought nothing of it but then Botan pointed it out.</p>
<p>"It looks like a hand," she stated, "Let's go and see if anyone needs help."</p>
<p>The whole party then detoured over. They discovered a hand made of wood and metal.</p>
<p>"Er, what is that?" asked Polka in confusion.</p>
<p>"I… think I've seen this kind of thing before..." muttered Nene with a furrowed brow.</p>
<p>"Ah, Rikka!" exclaimed Doris, "I believe we should dig him out."</p>
<p>"Eh? Dig him out?" repeated the puzzled monk.</p>
<p>"Oh, yeah, Rikka… yeah, we better dig him out," agreed the lore bard as she motioned the others to help her, "Come on, let's do this."</p>
<p>The monk just shrugged and joined in. With many hands helping, the owner of the hand was dug out in no time. It was a warforged made of yellow-tinged stone with some brown leather-like substance visible in some places. It wore a set of steel plates over its shoulders and right side of the body. Slowly, as its upper body was revealed through the digging, its empty eye sockets suddenly glowed blue and it said hoarsely, "...Oof, how long have I been asleep?"</p>
<p>"Hello, sir. What is your name?" asked Lamy.</p>
<p>"Oh, my name is designated Alfa-Romeo-Charlie, ARC for short," he stated calmly, "I was a guard in a caravan but I was separated from it during a bad sandstorm. I decided to shut down functions to save energy while awaiting rescue. Were you sent by them?"</p>
<p>They looked at each other and Aloe said, "We weren't? How long ago- hmm, you probably don't know how long ago."</p>
<p>"Indeed. I admit I do not know how long it has been," he stated as he climbed out of the sand, "Perhaps I can make it to the city and find my team." He had a shield on one arm and a longsword in its scabbard.</p>
<p>"You are welcome to join us," invited Doris, "We are heading to Huan Tup ourselves."</p>
<p>"Ah, you are too kind, miss," he replied as he took stock of the situation, "Very well. I shall join you and escort you to the city." He then saluted, a fist slamming his chest.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The port city of Huan Tuo was a welcome stop. ARC said his goodbye and went off in search of his team. The party then went to the harbourmaster to ask about a ship.</p>
<p>"Sir, is the Deep Sea in the docks?" asked Doris, much to everyone else's surprise.</p>
<p>The greying man scanned the book and nodded, "It is. I believe the captain is expecting you."</p>
<p>"Thank you very much," she said happily before leading the party out.</p>
<p>"Is that the name of your ship?" asked Polka as the mermaid led them down to the docks.</p>
<p>"No. That… Deep Sea belongs to a… friend," she replied mysteriously.</p>
<p>They found the boat. It was a sailing ship on the smaller side, pear-shaped to hold more cargo and mangonel removed in favor of a second mast for more sailing speed. The captain, a more fish-like triton, greeted them from the ship with a wave and ordered the sailors to lower the gangplank.</p>
<p>"Good to see you again, princess," he greeted Doris as she was the first to step on the ship.</p>
<p>"Princess?" repeated the others in confusion.</p>
<p>"Ah… I never told them, Calixes," the mermaid muttered with a blush.</p>
<p>"Ah… apologies… urm, well, the guest cabin is ready for you. The others… well, I did not expect so many. I suppose you can discuss amongst yourselves your sleeping arrangements," he informed them, "I will let everyone know when we reach Colch Island. If you would follow me."</p>
<p>"Very well. Please give me a moment," stated the supposed princess as she had the porter that accompanied them the whole time to leave her travel chest on the deck. She then proceeded to dismiss him while paying a little extra for his services.</p>
<p>Then, Captain Calixes led them down to the lower deck to the back of the ship. There were four doors there, one with a red cross on it.</p>
<p>"Right, the one with the cross belongs to the ship's doctor," he explained to them, "The other three are the guest rooms. The left one was supposed to be set aside for the princess… ahem, now, I shall leave the decision up to you. I have a ship I need to run. Good day, ladies."</p>
<p>After he left, the party discussed sleeping arrangements. In the end, Lamy stayed with Doris, Polka and Botan shared a room, and that left Aloe and Nene in the last room. Then...</p>
<p>"Before we talk of anything else, do you have anything to tell us, Doris?" asked Lamy.</p>
<p>"Well… I am the princess of Leviathis," she confessed, "I came to the surface world to… satisfy my curiosity so to say, as well as to foster good relations with the surface. I do hope you can forgive me for not telling anyone of my status."</p>
<p>"...to be honest, your friends probably won't care much for your status," stated Nene, "They… we are your friends because of you, not your status."</p>
<p>"Ah… thank you, friends," she replied gratefully, looking quite relieved.</p>
<p>They then decided to take a nap until dinner time. However, halfway through their nap time, they were awoken by loud knocks on their doors. They quickly filed out of their cabins to face the captain.</p>
<p>"If any of you know healing spells, we could use them," he told them with a stern voice, "We are nearing a merchant ship under attack by pirates. The pirates seem to have won and we are rescuing the survivors while they are busy plundering the ship."</p>
<p>"Come friends, we must help them," urged the mermaid before leading the rest to the upper deck.</p>
<p>The crew of the ship had already rescued ten survivors, which included two of the merchant guards. Botan offered to be a lookout while the others made use of the healing potions they had in their packs to heal and the remaining water in their waterskins to hydrate. Polka was immediately impressed when she used the mysterious ointment on the only burn victim rescue, which magically restored most of the damaged skin.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Captain Calixes stepped next to the archer and asked, "The ships still there?"</p>
<p>"Yeah, but I think the pirates are letting the merchant boat burn up," she guessed as she kept watch. The black flag had a heart outlined in white with the inner part colored black and white. An arrow pierced its center while a grinning skull was displayed in the forefront. After a while, it slowly sailed away, leaving the burning ship that slowly sank into the sea.</p>
<p>"Tch, Houshou pirates," muttered the captain before spitting on the deck, "If only someone would take them out." He then moved on to direct the crew.</p>
<p>After assuring the survivors of their safety, they were moved down to the hold. The ship still needed to get to Colch Island for them to get some relief for them. During dinner time, supplies were stretched a little thin, even after a few hours of fishing beforehand. And before sleep, Doris, Nene, and Aloe went down into the hold and sang a few songs for them to keep their spirits up.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The island of Colch was a circular island born from a volcano. The volcano itself has been dead for quite a while, but the village stemming from its foot did not. Its inhabitants were at first a few, but after making contact with the undersea city in the ocean depths, It grew to a respectable size. It was now a mixed village of land dwellers and curious sea dwellers that wanted to know more about living on land. In addition to the tritons in the sea, there was an atoll nearby that housed a colony of sea elves that were friendly to them as well. Relations were peaceful and harmonious.</p>
<p>This is what greeted the passengers when they disembarked on the wooden harbor. A wide array of open wooden houses spread from the beach towards the foot of the hill. It didn't go that far as the island was not very large, but big enough to support the village. The party could see small huts on the side of the mountain surrounded by vegetable plots.</p>
<p>"Ah, welcome to Colch Island. Peaceful place," stated the captain as he turned to the party, "I already sent some of my boys ahead to let them know of our survivors. No worries. They'll be taken care of and we'll send them back to the mainland free of charge."</p>
<p>"Thank you, captain," said Doris gratefully before regrouping with the party at the other end of the gangplank. "Alright, first we go to the inn," she stated. Nobody questioned her and the party headed to the local inn, Fish and Ships. Strangely, she paid for one room for one week. Then, she had everyone store all but their most essential equipment there. After that, they headed straight for the harbor once more.</p>
<p>As they stopped in front of the ship, she asked Botan and Polka to pick up her travel chest. She then declared, "Okay, if everyone is ready, we can go to the undersea city."</p>
<p>"Eh, how do we do that?" questioned Botan, "I don't think any of us has any experience swimming or can breathe underwater."</p>
<p>"Ah, there will be no difficulty at all," the mermaid stated as she headed towards the end of the pier. She then dove in.</p>
<p>The others hurried over and found her floating in the clear water with a fish tail, her blue scales gleaming beautifully. She then lifted her sea-green trident, twirled it around, and thrust it into the air while shouting something they didn't understand. Shimmering streams of white motes of light spilled out and swirled around her in a large sphere before disappearing.</p>
<p>She then said, "Jump in! And bring the chest with you! Do not worry! All is well."</p>
<p>The party stared at the confident mermaid and then looked at each other. As if in silent agreement, they jumped in as well. The archer and the monk tossed the chest into the water before diving after them. They held their breath as they went in but they were astonished when they got within the sphere's influence. Ethereal fishtails appeared from their behinds and as Polka yelled in surprise and let go of her held breath, she found that she could breathe normally.</p>
<p>"See? All is well," stated Doris with a smile.</p>
<p>It took a while, but eventually, everyone got used to their new situation and followed after Doris as she swam out of the deeper regions. Deeper they went and slowly the city came into view. Built of a mix of coral and stone, the buildings were in a remarkably ordered arrangement with a palace at the far end of the city. As they neared the gates, two triton guards stopped them.</p>
<p>"Halt, do you have anything to declare?" asked the one with a large fin running over the top of his head. The other, with seaweed-like hair, just looked on stoically.</p>
<p>Doris just smiled and said, "I am glad my guards are as vigilant as ever. Do you not recognize me?"</p>
<p>After peering more closely, he smiled and said, "Welcome back, princess. But, I insist on asking, do you have anything to declare?"</p>
<p>"Only my belongings that I brought with me and several friends," she replied, motioning behind her.</p>
<p>He gave them a cursory glance, his eyes narrowing a little when he saw the succubus, but said, "Very well, princess. Welcome back to Leviathis. I… highly suggest you head straight for the palace. Things are not well."</p>
<p>"Why? What happened in the time I was away?" asked the mermaid princess worriedly.</p>
<p>"Your father is gravely ill, princess. Go to him. He may not have long."</p>
<p>She immediately tossed her trident to Botan and sped off towards the palace.</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. Time to finish crossing the desert. On the way, Polka decided to buy something from a traveling salesman and the party rescued a caravan guard. Nothing too difficult. Then, upon reaching Huan Tuo, they got on the Deep Sea, a ship belonging to someone familiar to the princess. Once more, they rescued more people, this time victims of a pirate attack. Doesn't the flag look familiar? Hmm...</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>And now time to go home... to some most troubling news. T</strong>
  <strong>hank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 20</p>
<p>"Father!"</p>
<p>The door to the bedroom burst open and Doris swam over to the king's side. He looked like he had seen better days. His white beard reached all the way down the bed. His healthy skin, which used to be similar to the mermaid's, had turned dark blue.</p>
<p>"Princess, please. Your father needs rest," admonished the royal advisor, a light grey triton with a yellow band running down both sides of his head all the way to his arms.</p>
<p>"What's wrong with him?" asked the princess as she gingerly grasped her father's hand.</p>
<p>He sighed and said, "Honestly, I do not know. He seemed very healthy. A week ago, he started coughing a lot. And then, he began to show visible tiredness when he suddenly fell asleep on the throne. The doctor has detected poison but no matter what happened, he was unable to remove it. Then, your brother-"</p>
<p>"Dramos! Where has he been?" she immediately interrupted.</p>
<p>"He has been out of the city, seeking a cure for this mystery poison," he informed her with a dejected tone, "So far, there has been little success. At times, what remedy he finds will take hold but the poison seems to flare up, more potent than ever. It is truly perplexing."</p>
<p>"And where has he gone today?" she pressed on.</p>
<p>"...He is searching in the sahuagin territories today," he explained after a sigh.</p>
<p>"What!? B-b-but... the danger he is in-"</p>
<p>"I know, princess, I know..." he muttered as he closed his eyes forlornly, "Unfortunately, you know how your brother is. Determined to the last. Still, if anyone could find it, it would be your brother."</p>
<p>Doris stared at her sleeping father for a moment… and asked, "I need to speak with Commander Pothas. Where is he?"</p>
<p>"Guard headquarters. Why?"</p>
<p>"I brought some friends with me… I had hoped to show them the wonders of our city, but it seems I will have to ask them for assistance."</p>
<hr/>
<p>"I… am sorry to hear this," said Lamy.</p>
<p>Doris had met up with them at the palace gates, and then took them to the guard headquarters to meet up with Commander Pothas. He was a lobster triton; his blue-green armor was naturally formed all over his body save his hands, feet, and face. Long lobster antennae curved out of the top of his head. His extremities were wearing woven kelp shoes and gloves.</p>
<p>"Thank you… I have gathered everyone here to send aid to my brother," said the mermaid princess. She then said something in a strange language to the commander, who nodded.</p>
<p>She then turned to speak to them, "Sorry. I am explaining my plan to him as his Common is limited. I wish to send you into sahuagin territory to find and aid my brother. I will get my commander to get a tracker to aid you." She then told the commander her plan in her language.</p>
<p>"We will definitely help you, Doris," said Nene quickly after she spoke with the lobster triton.</p>
<p>"Thank you, my friends," replied the princess as the commander left the room.</p>
<p>A few seconds later, a young shark triton swam into the room. She was shorter than everyone in the party. It took them by surprise when she said, "Ah… hello? That's your greeting, yes?"</p>
<p>"Erm, she looks too young for this, I think?" spoke up Aloe with a frown, unable to fathom how old the shark triton was.</p>
<p>The princess then went to the doorway to talk with the commander. A moment later, she told them, "Apparently, Gura here is their best tracker. You will go with her to the sahuagin territories to find and aid my brother."</p>
<p>"She looks cute," said Polka as she suddenly rubbed the shark's head.</p>
<p>"Ah… nice feels," she quipped as she closed her eyes and swayed her head.</p>
<p>Then, Doris spoke with the tracker, who then took on a serious face and saluted when the explanation was done. She then faced the party and said, "Ah, follow. We sneak in, find prince Dramos, sneak out, yeah?"</p>
<p>"Umm, what about this?" asked Botan as she held up the mermaid's trident.</p>
<p>"...Right. That would be our next stop," the princess announced.</p>
<p>She then led them out and headed to what she called the magic institute. There she met up with what they presumed to be one of the heads there. She took out a small chest and placed it on her desk.</p>
<p>"Now, these should help you," she told them as she opened the chest. Inside were several rings. She picked up one and handed one each to the party while explaining, "These were intended to help those who wish to visit our fair city. This will be the first time any land-dweller wears this."</p>
<p>"Ah, so we're guinea pigs," snarked the succubus as she put the ring on.</p>
<p>"Maybe," she replied mysteriously, "But, I believe they work." She then tapped the butt of her trident on the floor.</p>
<p>The party could feel something being retracted from them, and yet they could still breathe underwater. Their ethereal fishtails still remain but they also get some ethereal fins on their legs and arms.</p>
<p>"The rings should help you breathe water right now," she informed the amazed party, "And have some manner of swimming capability. Are there any other questions?"</p>
<p>They looked to each other and Nene said, "No... I don't think we have any other questions."</p>
<p>Doris then clapped her hands and said, "Very well. The rings have to be returned after we are done. Gura, please lead them and help find my brother, please."</p>
<p>The shark tracker gave her a salute and said, "Yes, princess!"</p>
<hr/>
<p>The party and the tracker quickly made their way out of the city, moving east of the city. It was open flat land with patches of kelp forest and coral reefs scattered all around.</p>
<p>"This is a really big place," said Nene, "How are we going to find anyone here?"</p>
<p>"Maybe our friend here can-" started Aloe when their tracker started pulling them into a nearby forest.</p>
<p>"Hide! Hide!" Gura urged them as she shoved them inside. After getting everyone hidden, she dove in after them. Seconds went by as she peeked to look around. Then, she dipped back in and said, "Quiet. Patrols become a lot now."</p>
<p>"Increasing patrols. So we are in sahuagin territory now," summed up Lamy.</p>
<p>"Yes, yes. Move quiet," she confirmed as she motioned them to follow.</p>
<p>They continued swimming forward. After a while, they found a shark circling a small coral reef. She motioned them to hide in the reef. She then waved the shark down and muttered something to it. The shark followed her overhead as she went further into the reef, swimming in a smaller circle. After drawing a circle in the sand and scratching in some sigils with her trident, she then started a melodic chant as she held her trident to her forehead and stretched out her other arm upward. Ten minutes went by as she chanted. This fascinated the others as at times, they could almost see an ethereal shark swimming around the short triton, dipping in and out of the reef intermittently as it moved. After she was done, she swam up and continued to talk to the shark… as she swam with the shark in circles. It was a mystical and amazing experience to witness.</p>
<p>She then swam back to them and said, "He saw a triton going south and east from here. Prince Dramos I think. No other body would come here."</p>
<p>"...Okay… looks like we're going southeast then," summed up the lore bard.</p>
<p>They made their way southeast, past more forests of kelp and coral. The plain slowly became more dotted with lone random corals and humped sand embankments. The amount of schooling fish also seemed to increase. Suddenly, Gura motioned for them to stop.</p>
<p>"I hear conch," she warned them, "Hunting conch. Careful."</p>
<p>Soon, several dots appeared far off in the distance. They stooped down to the ground and kept quiet. The shark triton then started growling when her sharp eyes saw what was happening.</p>
<p>"They are chasing a triton. Is he holding something?" muttered Lamy.</p>
<p>"Is that Prince Dramos? Looks like a large pearl," added Nene.</p>
<p>"Come! Protect Prince Dramos!" shouted their tracker as she shot forward in the water.</p>
<p>"Let's go help her!" urged on Botan. Everyone was in agreement and swam after her.</p>
<p>The prince was ahead of the hunter pack but they were slowly gaining ground on him. So, he was very surprised when the party appeared and engaged them.</p>
<p>"Your majesty, are you alright?" asked Lamy as the bard and the tracker surged on ahead.</p>
<p>"What? Who are you all?" he asked in harried breath while the bard insulted the lead sahuagin and the tracker roared angrily and slammed her trident into its gut.</p>
<p>The four-armed baron roared and struck back. She swam around its bite but the second swing of its trident cut her arm with its prongs. An arrow glanced off its breastplate of woven shells as it ordered the rest of its followers to attack. They swarmed around her, trying to get her with their spears. Aloe and Polka tried distracting them but to no avail. Soon, their pet sharks caught up and they bit down on the raging tracker, prompting cries of pain. They only backed off when a spectral spear manifested and tried to attack one of the sahuagin. The same target roared as Lamy's frost ray chilled its leg.</p>
<p>Unable to play anything, Nene had to make do with just singing, her voice directed at the sharks. At the same time, Gura seemed to shout something at the baron and shot out of the melee, back to the party. Enraged, it swam after her, gouging out her back with its trident. As it shouted for its followers, an arrow streamed past it and struck the group and a muffled boom echoed through the water as the arrow burst with power, churning the water. As the bubbles cleared, one of the sahuagin floated lifelessly while the rest of the pack shook their heads and swam towards the shark triton on the attack.</p>
<p>The succubus and the monk moved in to help, double-teaming and killing another sahuagin while a flurry of blows missed the baron. One of the sharks got impaled by a ghostly spear while the cleric sent a flash of bright light at the larger one, causing it to shimmer in the water.</p>
<p>"Gura! Get back! You need healing!" shouted Nene as she moved in to engage one of the sharks. The tracker didn't listen as she clashed with the sahuagin baron again. After their tridents crashed several times, both of them impaled each other. The tridents slid out of each body and the tracker fell to her knees, bleeding heavily from many wounds.</p>
<p>"Someone, get her out of there!" yelled the prince as another burst arrow exploded in the middle of the enemy. Swimming to another position, Botan then shot another arrow, killing another sahuagin. The remaining one was disoriented by the boom and missed the shark triton, but the other sharks went for blood and started carving her out. So focused were the sharks, the cleric and the bard were able to take the smaller sharks out while healing the tracker.</p>
<p>Roaring as she was revived, Gura darted to the side and gouged out the last sahuagin's throat, leaving only the baron jabbing her in the side.</p>
<p>"Hey! Look!" Nene shouted, trying to distract the hunter shark while the other was gutted and battered by Botan, Aloe, and Polka. Gura was adding to that and confusing the shark was quite effective, leading the others to take it down as well.</p>
<p>With all its followers and pets dying all around it, it roared angrily and attacked its primary target, the shark triton. They roared at each other as they continued to strike and parry each other. Lamy's spirit spear struck him from the side. Its leg got frosted over. It roared again and swept its trident around and fending off the bard and the monk. The tracker then jumped up with another roar and landed on the sahuagin baron's head, slamming her trident in its face.</p>
<p>"Thank you, everyone, for helping me," said Prince Dramos gratefully as Gura pulled her weapon out, snarling at the dead sahuagin as she did so, "Come, let us leave quickly before any more find us."</p>
<hr/>
<p>"I suppose my sister has returned to Leviathis," he started as they quickly swam westward, "I was sent into the sahuagin territory to retrieve a pearl."</p>
<p>"Did you steal it?" asked Polka.</p>
<p>"Admittedly, not the best decision but I am pressed for time," he replied.</p>
<p>"Yeah, we heard. What do you need the pearl for?" asked Nene.</p>
<p>"I… needed it to pay someone for a mystic medicine that would help heal my father," he told them, "Every single time it runs out just as my father seemed to get better. I just need to get enough to treat my father fully."</p>
<p>"Who is making it for you?" asked Lamy curiously, "It must be someone talented or wise."</p>
<p>"...I suppose it is… he is very powerful," he stated, "You will see."</p>
<p>Gura suddenly turned and asked him something in their language. He replied with, "No, I did not go to the witch. Not even I would do such a thing… although I wouldn't put it past her to pass on a cursed item or disease to him… we will have to do something about her later on."</p>
<p>This seemed to appease the shark triton and they continued on their way. Eventually, they got out of sahuagin territory and then the prince led them southwards. The amount of coral reef began to increase, making the place become even more beautiful. Soon, they came to a grandiose villa made of white marble.</p>
<p>Stopping right outside, Prince Dramos shouted, "O' Great and Powerful Gozzah'ram, I seek the audience of the Endless Wave on the Sea of Fate."</p>
<p>The villa rumbled a moment before a wave of bubbles swirled out and reformed into a large, blue-skinned man with his black hair in a topknot. He was large and towered over them. His upper body was thread-bare and seemed to be sculpted out of stone while he had no legs, only a swirling whirlpool that didn't seem to affect its surroundings at all.</p>
<p>"So! You have returned, Dramos of Leviathis," the marid said imperiously, "Do you have what I requested?"</p>
<p>"Yes, O' Wise and Grand Vizier of the Deeps. This is what I have acquired," he stated as he presented the large pearl.</p>
<p>The elemental genie nodded and stated, "Good, good. That… is acceptable." He plucked the pearl out of the prince's hands and with a wave of his other hand, a large transparent bottle appeared with a viscous purple liquid inside.</p>
<p>"This is different from the others," he explained, "Taking one cup twice a day until it is finished will be enough to cure your father."</p>
<p>"Thank you, Great One of Endless Generosity!" exclaimed the prince as he bowed to the marid, hugging the bottle tightly to his chest.</p>
<p>"Do you know who poisoned the king?" asked Polka suddenly.</p>
<p>The pompous genie blinked. He frowned at the fennec fox girl for a moment and told the prince, "Your companions are quite rude. But, I am magnanimous and shall forgive this foolishness."</p>
<p>"A thousand apologies, O' Caliph of the Seas. I shall endeavor to correct this," replied Prince Dramos.</p>
<p>One 'hmph' later, the marid went back into the villa. He sighed with relief and turned to the others. "Please do not insult the marid. Nobody would survive if he wasn't already in a good mood," he scolded. Then, he stated, "Regardless, thank you, everyone, for your help. Now, let us return to Leviathis and cure my father."</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. And now, we truly find out why Doris was summoned back home. Grave news indeed.</strong>
</p>
<p>Gura Gawr</p>
<p>Triton Shark</p>
<p>Totem Warrior Barbarian/Lore Bard</p>
<p>
  <strong>In here, our little shark is the tracker. Her totem is the shark, another homebrew thing. The 3rd level effect of the shark is when attacking a creature that is already damaged, deal an extra 1d6 on a successful hit. Much like the shark goes in for the kill with blood in the water, Gura can do the same.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>And after we save the prince, we meet up with a marid, a huge water genie, at his holiday home. You must employ all your flattery skills to get what you want, or he will be pissed.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Medicine at hand, it is time to cure the king. </strong>
  <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 21</p>
<p>They swam back to the city as fast as they could. With Gura's help, they took the fastest path back and made it back before night fell. They headed straight for the palace and brought the medicine to the king. Doris was there keeping him company when they showed up, as well as the doctor who was checking up on the ailing king. As the siblings fussed over their father, the party and the tracker slipped out of the room.</p>
<p>"You are quite loyal to them," commented Lamy.</p>
<p>"Prince and Princess. Why not?" Gura replied in halting Common.</p>
<p>"You almost lost your life," muttered Nene.</p>
<p>"Shark protect me!" she said proudly as she pointed to herself with a grin, "Shark strong. Kill enemy very fast. No worry. Have Shark."</p>
<p>"You really shouldn't be taking so many risks," added Polka.</p>
<p>"Alone, yes. No risk actions. But you are here," the tracker quipped back. She then hugged the bard.</p>
<p>"Ah… you make it very hard to be sad like this," the lore bard said with a smile, "Just… don't go too risky next time, alright? Even with us here, we may not be able to help in time."</p>
<p>"Okay!"</p>
<p>"Oh, Doris? Is your father alright?" asked Botan as the siblings came out. The brother went off with the doctor, deep in discussion, while the sister came to them.</p>
<p>"There has not been any change yet. We will have to see in the coming days," she stated forlornly, "Still, thank you for bringing my brother back. I am in your debt."</p>
<p>"I guess we should stick around and see, just to be sure," spoke up Aloe with a smirk, "If you don't mind putting up with us."</p>
<p>"I do not," she replied with a tired smile, "I shall make arrangements. You and your friends shall be my guests in the palace."</p>
<p>"Nice!" exclaimed Polka with joy.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The next two days passed by quickly. Nene got some help from Doris with learning one of her songs while Aloe listened in. Botan and Polka did some sparring with Gura to get used to fighting underwater. Lamy helped the doctor and Dramos to monitor the king's condition. It was she who notified everyone that the king had awoken. Everyone then hurried to the king's bedroom to check on him. At first, the doctor shooed the rest out, only letting the siblings speak with him first. After a few minutes, they were allowed in. The king was looking a little healthier, not as dark blue as before.</p>
<p>"So… you are the ones that helped my son," he muttered, "I thank you."</p>
<p>"It was the right thing to do," spoke up Lamy, "It would not sit well with me if we failed to do something."</p>
<p>"Ah… again, I am thankful for your intervention," he replied. Turning to his son, he asked, "I shall hand this off to you, Dramos."</p>
<p>"Very well, father," said the prince before turning to address the party, "Everyone... it seems that we have our culprit. The witch of the sea that lives near here. I do not know how, but she had passed on a cursed item to my father and caused his illness. We have tolerated her existence until now. For attempting to kill my father, she will be sentenced to death. You will accompany me to her abode to enact her punishment."</p>
<p>"Very well," replied the half-snow elf seriously, "When are you leaving, your majesty?"</p>
<p>"Immediately."</p>
<hr/>
<p>She made her home in a large shipwreck. It was supposed to have sunk during a rather vicious storm. It had a large hold that was buried in the sandbank and was now home to various kinds of sea life. Dramos brought along several soldiers with him, including Gura. The group went in from the topdeck entrance and made their way down to the lower decks. However, as they made their way down, they could hear loud cackling. They found the hag at the second lowest deck.</p>
<p>"My, my, Prince Dramos, of all people, coming to visit little old me. Why, if you told me in advance, I would have made the place presentable to your highness. What do I owe the pleasure of your presence?" she cackled, her seaweed-looking hair covering her face.</p>
<p>"For the attempted murder of my father, I hereby sentence you to death," he declared as he pointed at her.</p>
<p>"Death, you say?" she repeated before cackling, "Then... come and approach me if you dare!" With a shriek of laughter, she raised a gnarled piece of wood that had a conch shell affixed to it and chanted.</p>
<p>"All the tiny things to know,</p>
<p>You shape and reap of what you sow,</p>
<p>Come alive now! Monsters, grow!"</p>
<p>Without a warning, several giant octopuses and giant crabs appeared as her makeshift hag's wand made the sea life suddenly enlarge and become aggressive.</p>
<p>"Choke them, my pretties!" she cackled as she pointed at them.</p>
<p>"Defend yourselves!" he shouted as he and his men brandished their tridents.</p>
<p>The hag cackled as she moved nearer to them and then lifted her hair and let out her ugly face on full display. Misshapen face, bulging eyes, and a jawful of teeth too big for her face. A few were shocked and frightened, but the prince shouted, "Do not lose heart! Remember what you fight for, men!"</p>
<p>That was all he could shout out before it devolved into a general melee as the enlarged sea life converged to repel invaders. Octopuses snared and entangled them. Crabs nipped and grabbed on to their legs. Dramos got into the thick of it, taking on a giant octopus by himself. Lamy summoned her spectral weapon, now in the shape of a trident, and put it to work as she shot rays of frost to finish off her targets. However, after failing to fend off the intruders and a few minions dying, the hag decided to take things into her own hands and swam straight for the prince.</p>
<p>"Ahahaha!" she cackled as she raked her claws over his arm.</p>
<p>Distracted by this sudden attack, his divided attention allowed the giant octopus to grab him with its tentacles. "You foul witch, I shall be your executioner!" he roared as he tried to stab her with his trident.</p>
<p>The other tritons yelled in response to that and tried to fight even fiercer. However, one of them passed on, his bones crushed by tentacles. Nene, Botan, and Polka worked to put down that one while Aloe and Lamy worked to kill and freeze the crabs. However, all was not well.</p>
<p>With a great yell, the prince fell as the hag clawed out his throat. His triton escort yelled in dismay as another of their number fell as well. The lion girl roared and transformed as a giant octopus swam closer and grabbed her by the waist. She started biting and scratching with a feral ferocity. Lamy sent the spectral trident to help her while she froze off another's head, killing it in the process. The others went to help the dwindling triton force.</p>
<p>As the third giant octopus fell, things became more manageable to the remaining force. One by one, they fell to the deck lifeless and that freed up more people to team up on the others. The sea hag also realized this and moved to aid her minions, staining her claws with more triton blood. However, she could clearly see that the way things are, they were not going in her favor and decided to make a run for it.</p>
<p>"Witch!" yelled Gura, as well as several other words in her tongue, as she finished off the giant octopus she had been tussling with since the beginning and sped off after her.</p>
<p>"After her!" urged on Botan as she shot at the fleeing hag, her arrows finding their mark with precision.</p>
<p>"Polka!" yelled Nene as she moved to heal the fennec fox girl as the giant octopus slammed the monk on the deck, releasing its hold on her body as she floated lifelessly. Her bones reknitting together, the monk slamming a flurry of punches into its soft body.</p>
<p>"You will not flee!" declared Lamy as she froze the hag's legs, rooting her in place.</p>
<p>"Don't think you can keep me here!" the hag shrieked as she suddenly ripped the boards out of the side of the ship with a sudden display of strength. She then ripped her legs out of the ice, squeezed out through the hole, and swam away as fast as she could.</p>
<p>"Come back!" roared Gura angrily as she moved to swim after the fleeing hag but a yell caused her to lend aid to her fellow triton in killing the last giant crab, The two remaining giant octopuses tried escaping, the influence of the hag now gone. One managed to escape but the other was cut to pieces by the party and the two surviving soldiers.</p>
<p>After it was all said and done, the remaining soldiers and Gura slowly stepped up to the cold body of the prince and knelt around him. The party kept their distance, not knowing what to say. The prince fought bravely, this they knew and saw. Then, the tracker started singing a beautiful but haunting song. The other two added their voices in as well. They didn't know what they were singing but its essence was understood.</p>
<p>"A funeral dirge," muttered Nene softly, informing the others, "We will hear more of it when they bring him back."</p>
<p>"Should we search the place for stuff while they're singing?" asked Aloe, keeping her voice down as well.</p>
<p>"I don't see why not," whispered back Botan.</p>
<p>"Hmm, not sure if it's disrespectful… but I guess?" murmured Polka.</p>
<p>"It certainly is. Their prince just died and… well, granted, this place belonged to an enemy, but still, the thought really counts..." objected Lamy.</p>
<p>"Well, I, for one, want to look around," quipped the succubus as she slunk away to search the place.</p>
<p>As the singing drew to a close, the hull suddenly started creaking. Gura then called them over and asked, "Please! Help carry bodies." They were a little weirded out but complied. The two soldiers carried the prince's body while the party helped to carry the others.</p>
<p>"Where your friend?" asked the tracker.</p>
<p>Loud cackling rang throughout the deck and coupling that with the creaking hull, it didn't sound all that good.</p>
<p>"Erm, we better go now!" yelled Aloe as she swam past them, "Run!"</p>
<p>The current suddenly began picking up, prompting the others to start swimming out of the wreck. The current picked up, making it harder for them to swim. Thankfully, they made it out and swam far enough to see the ship suddenly crumble and break inward, the swirling current transforming into a whirlpool.</p>
<p>"What in the world did you do, Aloe?" asked Nene.</p>
<p>"Erm… I found a black silk bag..." the succubus muttered embarrassedly, "When I opened up to check, that laugh came out and… a tiny whirlpool."</p>
<p>The party just stared at her, causing her to squirm a little. Lamy then sighed and said, "What the witch had… probably, was not that good anyway, so very little loss. We should bring the bodies back to the city and give them a proper burial."</p>
<p>"Yeah… yeah, a bit too late to complain about this now," agreed Nene as she went over and placed a hand over the former's shoulder, "Let's go, Aloe."</p>
<hr/>
<p>Once the news broke out that the prince had been slain, Leviathis fell into mourning. Everyone, from the commoner to the nobility to Doris and her father wore black bands around their right wrist. The party did the same out of respect for the prince. A grand funeral was held at the temple and they were part of the princess' entourage. Gura took part as one of the dirge singers at the temple. The prince and the soldiers who had fallen with him were encased in caskets made of coral. Then, the caskets were paraded all around the city before being laid to rest in the graveyard. The prince's body was placed in the royal mausoleum, where the rest of the royal family was interred. The soldiers were buried with the nobility after being conferred the highest honors for serving bravely.</p>
<p>"Thank you, friends, for keeping company and helping my people," stated the mermaid as she hugged them after the funeral was over, "The past two days were harrowing for me and I am thankful for your support."</p>
<p>"It was the least we could do, princess," replied Lamy with an assuring smile.</p>
<p>"Will you be coming back to Rivirapolis with us?" asked Botan.</p>
<p>Doris sighed, looking quite tired, and said, "I… do not think I can. My brother is gone and I am expected to be next in line. With my father still recovering, I will have to help out in his stead. Even after he is healthier, I will have to be groomed to be his successor. Ah… I suppose I have to send a letter to Sir Aruran about my resignation from the guild."</p>
<p>"...Take your time, Doris. We'll be here until you're ready to send us off," stated Nene as she rubbed the mermaid's shoulder.</p>
<p>"Thank you, my friends. Thank you," she thanked them. Then, she promised, "I will have someone draft a letter for you to bring."</p>
<p>"You know, if you need more time..." started Polka but she shook her head.</p>
<p>"No… it is fine," she said, "I… I am sorry. I think I need to lie down." She then headed back to the palace.</p>
<p>It took another two days before Doris came to them with the letter, as well as some interesting rewards. A set of five amulets, a piece of coral in a water-filled globe attached to a silver chain.</p>
<p>"These amulets have been blessed in the temple," said the mermaid princess as she placed them around their necks, "These will grant you the protection of Persana as long as you wear it."</p>
<p>"Thank you, your majesty. We graciously accept," stated Lamy gratefully.</p>
<p>"Please, you can still call me Doris… in private functions at least," the former replied with a smile, "You are my friends, after all."</p>
<p>"Well, thank you for the gifts, Doris," said Nene as she gave the mermaid a hug, "'Thanks for everything."</p>
<p>She simply smiled and said, "Please bring my letter to Sir Aruran safely. I will send some of the soldiers to accompany you to Colch Island. From there, you should be able to meet up with Captain Calixes and head straight to Huan Tuo. Don't forget to return the rings."</p>
<p>"No worries!" exclaimed Polka, "After all that hag, what's the worst that could happen?"</p>
<hr/>
<p>"What did you say the other day? What's the worst that could happen?" shouted Botan before they were both thrown about by the rocking boat.</p>
<p>They reached the island with no trouble. After having retrieved their backpacks and getting more arrows for Botan, they boarded the ship. It seems that the ship will always visit the island every week. If it wasn't bringing visitors, they would be shipping supplies to and fro to the port. Then, they got caught in a storm. It was a violent one at that and being thrown about in their room was no joking matter. With the bed sliding all around the place, they couldn't sleep a wink. After the ship weathered the storm, they caught a few hours sleep despite the archer and the bard hitting their heads on the wooden walls of the ship.</p>
<p>Then, they were called up topside. The ship was mostly intact but the thunderstorm had caused part of the furled up sail to catch on fire and they had to repair it. However, Lamy's repeated casts of Mending helped to recover parts of the sailcloth while Polka helped the shipwright to mend the top part of the mast. While she usually used needles that sewed leather, Botan helped with patching up the sailcloth. Meanwhile...</p>
<p>"Still not getting a bite?" whispered Nene as she sat with Aloe on the side of the ship, holding on to a fishing rod.</p>
<p>"No… I really don't see why some mortals like fishing," replied the succubus with a pout.</p>
<p>"Well, maybe not now," the bard said as she glanced behind them, the hammering and sawing and the chanting taking up most of the air space, "But, most mortals like fishing in a quiet spot to appreciate the peace and quiet it brings."</p>
<p>"Hn… I guess being mortal is harder than I thought," the latter muttered, "I mean… I've been here for a while now but I barely talked with anyone else other than in the guild people and Towa."</p>
<p>"Hmm, still… you are fitting in pretty well. I'm kind of glad we are friends instead of fighting that time," the former replied with a smile.</p>
<p>"I guess… eh, my rod is shaking," Aloe started when the rod started twitching.</p>
<p>"Reel it in!" shouted Nene as she jumped in to help her pull on it. The fish was large enough to feed most of them for dinner that night.</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. Gura talks about SHAAK. Then, the next few days, we wait for the king to be healthy enough to get an audience with the royal family. Then, we go and confront a sea hag about the poison/curse problem. The outcome was not so nice. Not to mention Aloe accidentally got the derelict wreck swallowed up by a whirlpool, so... no loot from there. But, the party does get rewarded by the princess with Amulets of Protection.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Right, it's time to make our way back home with Holo5. Will it be smooth sailing from here? You as well as I know, not everything goes to plan all the time. </strong>
  <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 22</p>
<p>A knock on the door woke Nene up. She yawned as she got out of her bed and groggily answered the door.</p>
<p>"Ah...yes?" she murmured as she waited for her mind to reawaken.</p>
<p>"Ahem, we may have a problem," Calixes informed her seriously, "Please come topside." He then walked to the stairs without waiting for her to reply.</p>
<p>Confused, she quickly washed her face and got dressed. After hurrying up to the top deck, her jaw almost dropped to the floor. The captain was facing a… something inhuman. It looked like a normal human man but coral and seaweed grew out of his head. He wore a robe of seaweed and thick kelp with shellfish trim. His skin, where visible, was dotted with barnacles and scales. He carried with him a staff made of a single coral.</p>
<p>"Erm, what is going on?" she asked as she came up from behind the captain.</p>
<p>"I see," said the strange man in a deep voice, "It was you and several others, I see."</p>
<p>She blinked a few times and asked, "I… what are you talking about?"</p>
<p>"I have been told of your fight with Ursula Brinedrinker," he continued in his deep voice, "My master is most amused."</p>
<p>"Er… you're welcome?" she muttered in surprise, not knowing what else to say.</p>
<p>He then clapped his hands once and said, "For this, he will not tithe this ship for wandering in his domain. In return, he wishes you to do something for him."</p>
<p>"What exactly?"</p>
<p>"There is an island to the south. Beneath the waves of that island lies a shrine. A thief stole something belonging to my master and has placed it there. You will retrieve my master's property and throw it into the sea. Do this and both you and the ones in control of this ship will be granted free passage through his territory… permanently," he offered, "No longer will you be under threat of attack while you sail through his territory. His protection is extended to you. What say you?"</p>
<p>"I… can I speak with my friends first?" she asked. This was… a big decision. While they had to bring the letter back to Lord Aruran, getting this benefit for both them and Captain Calixes is… tempting.</p>
<p>"If you must. Be quick. I cannot tarry any longer than needed," he told her.</p>
<p>She hurried back to their cabins and tried getting everyone up. Thankfully, a few of them were already up.</p>
<p>"Nene, is something happening?" asked Aloe, "I can feel something... strange in the air. What's going on?"</p>
<p>"Umm, there is this strange guy upstairs that is asking us to get something for his master," she informed them, "If we do this, we are granted safe passage if we ever find ourselves in their territory. We just need to visit a shrine and take it back."</p>
<p>"...Did his master tell us what kind of shrine it is?" asked Lamy with a frown, "I rather not steal from a shrine if I can help it."</p>
<p>"The guy didn't say… maybe we have to accept to find out?" she suggested as she shrugged.</p>
<p>"Hng, just accept it, I say," stated the succubus, "Even if he refuses to tell us, we can just decide when we get there."</p>
<p>"...I suppose..." mused the cleric, "I better wake the other two up and let them know about this."</p>
<p>"Then, I'll accept their request."</p>
<hr/>
<p>Captain Calixes was not very happy with our decision, but after being told that the island wasn't that far and that he would be able to sail faster through the mystery master's territory, he relented and took the party southwards. The island seemed to be sparsely covered with trees and bushes. Several wooden buildings surrounded by a wooden wall were in an open clearing at the center of the island. A simple dirt path connected the compound entrance, a large wooden gateway decorated with carved symbols, with a wooden pier that went further than normal. It was as if it was used to receiving large ships there.</p>
<p>"The shrine must be in one of those buildings," mused Nene as the ship docked.</p>
<p>"I hope you know what you're doing," stated Calixes as his men lowered the gangplank.</p>
<p>"We won't be long. No worries," she assured him with a smile as the party moved on down, "We'll be back soon."</p>
<p>"Hn, just don't get too over your head," he warned.</p>
<p>"I'll do my best to remember that. Thank you," she said as she walked down and joined her team. "Ready?" she asked, getting nods from the other four, "Right. Let's go find the mystery property."</p>
<p>They went up the dirt path and reached the entrance. The carved symbols on the wooden gateway began to glow blue the moment they were right in front of it. This put them on guard and made them hesitant to pass under it. However, since they were pressed for time, Botan decided to go through. Poking a toe past it didn't elicit a reaction. After taking a deep breath, she jumped through.</p>
<p>"Oh, no worries," she exclaimed in surprise. Turning to the rest of the party, she urged, "Come on! Let's go!"</p>
<p>The others strode on through… save for Aloe, who received a jolt of lighting which threw her back several feet away.</p>
<p>"Aloe!" shouted the others before dropping their packs and ran to check up on her.</p>
<p>"Urgh… I guess… I can't go through then," the succubus stated woozily as she tried to get her bearings.</p>
<p>"Ah, then I'll keep her company then," offered Polka.</p>
<p>"...Alright. Let's go Botan, Lamy," decided the bard.</p>
<p>The three then headed to the center of the compound and looked around. One large building overlooking the others. One medium-sized building on the left and one smaller one on the right. The center of the compound had a small well. A much smaller building, presumably the outhouse, was the furthest building.</p>
<p>"Where do we look first?" muttered Botan as she glanced over the buildings.</p>
<p>"What do we have here..."</p>
<p>The three girls spun around to find a white-furred kitsune standing before them wearing a shrine maiden outfit.</p>
<p>"Greetings, visitors. My name is Ayane. What brings you here today?" she asked.</p>
<p>They glanced at each other, hesitant to reply, but eventually, Nene said, "Hello, I'm Nene. Um… we are here to... get some stolen property back."</p>
<p>"Hmm, I can't say that I know of any stolen property here," the kitsune mused as she tilted her head, "This place mostly only receives offerings of foodstuffs and rarely, gold… However, there has been a lack of visitors to the shrine lately. Those that do have been frightened by strange sounds as well as mysterious cracks suddenly appearing on their ships."</p>
<p>"That's strange… Do you mind if we find out what's going on?" she asked.</p>
<p>"I do not. If anything, it would put my mind at ease," replied the shrine maiden.</p>
<p>"Alright… umm, do you have any clue of where to start?" she continued the line of questioning.</p>
<p>"Well… as far as I know, the visitor's come from the west, so perhaps one would start there," the kitsune said after some thought.</p>
<p>"Thank you for your time, Miss Ayane," said the bard gratefully. The three of them bowed before leaving the compound and rejoining the other two.</p>
<p>"Hng… we have to fight in the water again?" moaned Polka.</p>
<p>"I think we might be up for a hard time," muttered Aloe with a frown, "We don't have those rings anymore… how do we do this?"</p>
<p>"...Maybe get the captain's help?" suggested Botan.</p>
<p>"That's not such a bad idea..."</p>
<hr/>
<p>Captain Calixes was reluctant to put his men in danger but he allowed them to ask them anyway. A few of them volunteered in spite of the potential danger and were willing to help scout out the west of the island. It wasn't long before one of the sailors discovered an underwater entrance to a sea cave. The one that found it then led the party there.</p>
<p>"Thank you, sir. That was very kind of you," said Nene gratefully to the young man while the others got out of the water.</p>
<p>"It was no problem… you don't mind if I stay here, right?" he asked nervously as Polka, Aloe, and Lamy flopped on the ground, breathing heavily.</p>
<p>"...sure, I don't. We are part of the adventurers guild after all. We are prepared for this," muttered the bard in reply after Botan shook her mane vigorously, showering the both of them with more seawater.</p>
<p>The lion girl grinned and said, "Done. Let's find the mystery thing and get this over with."</p>
<p>After getting the others to their feet, the party trudged down the tunnel of the cave, which ended at a small alcove with a large stone. Working together to move it, Botan and Polka rolled the stone aside and the room beyond opened up to a single cavernous area. In the middle were skeletons of various heights propped up against stalagmites and stakes driven into the ground, among other things. Some of the skeletons were wearing armor and holding on to various weapons, a few that seemed to be gleaming a bit… or was it a trick of the light? The surface grave was bordered by four human-sized, violet mushrooms. Off to the side was a large pool of water, calm and serene.</p>
<p>"What is this place?" the bard asked as she looked around the dank, dimly lit cave, "Is something living here?"</p>
<p>"Shine. Float," commanded Polka as she let her driftglobe float above her. The ceiling was low and faint-glowing moss was growing in patches.</p>
<p>"What strange things," stated Lamy as she glanced at the mushrooms.</p>
<p>"Careful, Lamy. Don't touch those," warned the lion girl, "They can sprout tentacles that can rot your skin."</p>
<p>"Urgh, that sounds disgusting," muttered Aloe as she wrinkled her nose, "Other than those, I don't see anything here that might be the thieves."</p>
<p>Shrugging, the fennec fox girl walked over to the pool of water. It was dark and briney, with very little light being able to pierce through the darkness. "Nothing here," she yelled as she turned to the rest of the party.</p>
<p>The half-snow elf was at a loss as to how to get past the violet fungi. She was, however, able to see that the skeletal remains of the victims were propped up like gruesome trophies. She grimaced and muttered, "Such horrible-"</p>
<p>A loud yell echoed through the tunnel, getting everyone's attention to the entrance.</p>
<p>"Is he alright?" asked Nene aloud.</p>
<p>"...the thieves might be back already," warned Botan as she unshouldered her bow, "Better get ready."</p>
<p>With bated breath, they watched the entrance of the cave, with Polka not noticing a dripping figure rising out of the water behind her. A large lobster-like monster stepped through the doorway, the sailor with his neck snapped in its claws. Some odd static in the air began as it caught sight of them.</p>
<p>"Watch out!" yelled Lamy, pointing behind the monk, who then tumbled forward before turning around. Her eyes went wide as she realized how close she was to being caught by those large pincers.</p>
<p>"Anyone know what these are?" asked Botan as the two monsters slowly came closer to them, the one at the entrance dropping the body beforehand.</p>
<p>"I've only heard stories of them," replied Nene as she raised her rapier, "Monsters serving bigger monsters."</p>
<p>"You got that right," confirmed Aloe, "Chuul used to be servants of crazy strong monsters that hunted for magical treasure. Just don't get caught. Their mouth tentacles can paralyze you."</p>
<p>"Good to know," shouted Polka worriedly as she stood her ground in front of the cleric, "I just hope I can crack their shells."</p>
<p>The succubus circled around the mushroom patch, keeping an eye on the chuul in front of her. The lore bard did the same as she strummed her lute, hoping her words would dull the senses of their would-be opponents. It was then the archer that struck first, her arrows pelting its face, cutting off one of the tentacles in the process. It let loose something in between a roar and a shriek and charged. The first pincer missed, but it second clamped down on Aloe's wing as she shrieked in pain, It pulled her in and its tentacles reached out to wrap around her neck.</p>
<p>The second chuul decided to go after the monk but its pincers couldn't grab the constantly swaying monk. She struck back with surprising power. When the cleric's spells and spectral weapon, a mace, bounced off its shell or missed, Polka's kicks left its abdominal area cracked and throbbing.</p>
<p>"Damn it, let go!" yelled Aloe as she squirmed around, trying to get out of its pincers through wriggling and clawing.</p>
<p>"Let her go!" shouted Nene, the thin rapier finding purchase in the softer, fleshy joints of the chuul in its leg. An arrow found the same, in the pincer holding on to the succubus' wings.</p>
<p>It bellowed and tried grabbing at the lore bard while still trying to poison its victim. It was successful and to the surprise of the party, threw her at the nearest violet fungus. Luckily, she was agile enough to make sure she didn't fall down too near it. The same couldn't be said for the monk, who experienced the same thing and this time fell right next to the purple mushroom. She screamed when two tendrils shot out and whipped her, leaving dark streaks of dead cells on her skin.</p>
<p>"My goddess guides you," chanted Lamy softly after she directed the spirit weapon to continue its attack.</p>
<p>"Take this!" shouted Polka, her punches tearing apart the mushroom before running towards the cleric and standing in front of her defensively.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Aloe finally got loose after her claws cut off one of the chuul's mouth tentacles, its pincers loosening in reaction to the pain.</p>
<p>"Nice one! Let's turn this one into dinner!" shouted the lore bard, both encouraging her friend and mocking the aberration.</p>
<p>It merely bellowed in response before getting cut off as two arrows got lodged in its mouth. It hastily snapped the shafts off and reached out with its pincers.</p>
<p>"Watch out!" shouted Nene as she avoided one pincer. Even after the warning, the other pincer got hold of the succubus around her arm.</p>
<p>"Urgh, disgusting!" she shouted as she tried pushing the tentacles away with her free hand. She then let out a startled cry as she felt her whole body lock up suddenly.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the monk received the same treatment, the other chuul subjecting her to its mouth tentacles after clamping a pincer around her waist. It then moved out of the way of the spirit mace, which crashed down on the floor, chipping at the rock. It then received a faceful of bright light as the cleric sent a bolt of radiance into its eyes. This allowed Polka to punch it in the mouth and stunning it, letting her go. It slumped over, still standing, while its pincers hung down loosely by the side of its body.</p>
<p>"Let her go!" shouted Nene, jamming her rapier in its claw joint. Succubus in question had lashed out at the tentacles and missed since she had to overcome the paralysis, but at least distracted the chuul and wrenched her arm loose. Two more arrows pierced the chuul's chest in the joints.</p>
<p>"Get down!" the bard shouted again, pulling Aloe down with her and both of them avoided the pincers.</p>
<p>"You will not harm them further," shouted Lamy as she fired a ray of frost at its head, while mentally directing the bludgeoning of the other.</p>
<p>"Ha! Nice, Lamy!" cheered on the monk as she continued raining blows on the enemy's head.</p>
<p>"Guh, I should use my daggers if I can't get through this," ground out the succubus as her claws kept scraping against the chuul's shell.</p>
<p>"Would be a better idea," the lore bard replied as she found another fleshy joint to stab, mentally counting another two arrows in the chuul's chest.</p>
<p>Already bleeding out a lot of blue-colored blood, it bellowed out in pain and carefully walked backwards, waving its pincers in front of it to fend off its attackers. Not that it helped, as another stab in the joint and a lucky claw slash still went past its defenses.</p>
<p>At the same time, the other chuul toppled over as the spectral mace crashed through its head and crushed the insides. The half-snow elf then focused her attention on the violet fungi, sending a ray of frost at one.</p>
<p>"I want to take the bodies down and put them to rest," she stated when Polka sent her a questioning look.</p>
<p>"Ah, I'll help then," the latter replied and then pulverized another.</p>
<p>That little exchange got the others to agree and cut down a third mushroom, with Botan pausing to send a final arrow into the retreating chuul's mouth. It then fell forward and onto the arrows already in its entire body.</p>
<p>"Thank you, everyone," the cleric said gratefully as she froze the final violet fungus over. She then walked over and shattered it to pieces with her mace.</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. So, when we left the party, we were repairing the ship. Now, we have a mysterious visitor asking them to retrieve some sort of item for him. He is actually a kraken priest speaking on behalf of his master. They don't really know that, having never encountered one before. So, this enticing detour goes all over the place before settling into an underwater cave. So, chuul's are large lobster-like creatures with tentacles coming out where their mouths are supposed to be. Supposedly, some sort of snake-like creature implanted there by aboleths, another monstrosity. I dunno if I wanna feature one yet but, who knows?</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>After they settle this debacle, Holo5 will continue on their journey back to Rivirapolis. </strong>
  <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 23</p>
<p>After helping Lamy to take the skeletons on display down, it was then decided to send Polka and Aloe to get word of what happened to Captain Calixes and Ayane. Lamy was busy praying over the skeletons and the dead sailor. While the remaining two looked over the dead chuuls.</p>
<p>"Hng… no trophy..." murmured Botan.</p>
<p>"Really?" replied Nene with an incredulous look, "I doubt the head would actually last that long."</p>
<p>"I know… too bad Rushia isn't around, hi hi," the lion girl giggled.</p>
<p>"So, this is where the thieves are."</p>
<p>They spun towards the pool of water. The cleric got to her feet and did the same. The mysterious man in kelp and seaweed was walking towards them as he rose out of the water.</p>
<p>"How..." trailed off the lore bard as the strange man headed straight for the dead and picked up a gleaming staff.</p>
<p>"Thank you for helping to retrieve my master's belongings," he stated in a drone as he picked up another weapon, a shortbow, "Hmm, interesting. I believe this would do well with your archer."</p>
<p>He then tossed it at the bard before heading back towards the pool. Slowly, he stepped in and sank into the pool as he walked down, disappearing from the surface after a few seconds. Nene stared at the bow for a moment before handing it to Botan.</p>
<p>The lion girl looked it over and plucked the bowstring. Making slight nods, she then nocked an arrow and pulled. To everyone's surprise, a copy of that arrow appeared above it. "So that's why he said that," she muttered as she put the arrow back in the quiver.</p>
<p>"Woah, looks like you got an upgrade, Botan," quipped the lore bard with a grin.</p>
<p>She chuckled just as several sailors came into the cave with several blankets. After some quick direction, they wrapped the body and the skeletons in the blankets, and then carried them out of the cave along with their belongings. The remains were brought to the shrine to be checked over by the shrine maiden. It was there that the party met up again with the captain.</p>
<p>"Now, as much as I prefer resolving this, letting one of my men die for it is not what I signed them up for," he said calmly, but his eyes revealed anything but, "Even if you did kill the ones that killed him."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry for your loss… is there any way we can make up for this?" asked Nene.</p>
<p>He grunted and turned around to look at the priestess, who was examining the bones. He then said, "You can't replace a life with money," he stated softly.</p>
<p>Silence.</p>
<p>"...Maybe we can try and prevent future losses," said Lamy suddenly, "I have noticed during the fight that the shells on those things are quite durable. Perhaps you can reclaim their shells and use them to make armor for yourself and your crew."</p>
<p>"...Makes sense. I suppose we can do something about it," he muttered after some thought, "I'll have some of my men try and drag those things out of their cave."</p>
<p>That night, they built two funeral pyres and burned the remains.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The next day started with a busy morning. The two chuul bodies were dragged out of their cave as well as any salvageable equipment, which wasn't much. The flesh was removed and burned while the bulky exoskeleton was stored in the hold. It wasn't done neatly, but everyone did their best. After everything else was done, they set sail, moving away from the pier as the shrine maiden waved goodbye.</p>
<p>It wasn't before long that they were back on the high seas, sailing straight for Huan Tuo. Thankfully, they had good winds and they reached the port when night fell. The streets had scarcely any citizens walking around by the time the party finally left the harbor. The sailors were with them, their captain deciding that they were due some shore leave.</p>
<p>"Right, this is goodbye for now," Calixes stated as he shook their hands, "Tell you what, if we ever do get something made out of those shells, I'll send a messenger with a gift. Never would have gotten that idea if your healer here didn't suggest it."</p>
<p>"Glad to be of service,' replied Lamy with a smile.</p>
<p>Nodding to them, he turned to his men and announced, "Alright, business is done. Drinks are on me!" The sailors cheered as they followed the captain in search of their preferred bar.</p>
<p>The party headed out as well, searching for a place to stay at instead. After some walking, they settled at a place called the Squealing Pig. After Nene paid for lodging and late-night food, they sat at their table to eat and chat before turning in for the night. The next day, they refilled their waterskins and started their trek across the desert, already knowing that they could reach the ruins stop-over by sundown since they had passed through before. However, by midday, they stumbled onto a camel lying on its side. It had died, Lamy noticing a deep gash in its side. It still had a chest attached to its saddle. It had broken open and its contents are mostly gone except for a... piece of paper.</p>
<p>"Eh, what's this?" muttered Polka as she looked over the paper with strange writing on it, "Hey… this is the enchanter's shop that Camryn is apprenticing at."</p>
<p>"Huh…, let me have a look," requested Nene. The fennec fox girl passed it over and she looked at it. "Oh… this is like… a ticket for an item. Ah... " she mused and it suddenly dawned on her what happened, "So I think the person who was using this camel was some merchant. Either killed by some bandits or some animal. This might be one of his items that he was requesting to stock his stock or something."</p>
<p>"Oh, then we just need to bring this to the enchanter's shop and get something for free," summed up Botan with a grin, "Lucky!"</p>
<p>"Well, let us not waste any more time and get to the pit stop," stated Lamy with urgency.</p>
<p>"Ah, right, right," agreed the lore bard and the party headed on their way.</p>
<p>They reached the ruins pit stop in the evening, just as expected. However, they were not the only ones there. A merchant was there with two of his guards.</p>
<p>"Hello, how are you this fine evening?" he greeted them jovially as he waved at them from the fire.</p>
<p>"Hello, we are on our way to Nikubasa," replied Nene with a smile.</p>
<p>"Oh, we came from there," exclaimed the merchant, "Please, you are welcome to share the fire."</p>
<p>"Thank you for the offer. We will take you up on that," she replied, "Please give me a moment."</p>
<p>Turning to her party, she asked them to gather together. Strumming on her lute, she started to sing.</p>
<p>
  <em>I'm coming home,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I'm coming home,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Tell the plains I'm coming home,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Let the rain wash away,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>All the pain of yesterday,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I know my friends await,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Family greets me at the gate,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I'm coming home,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Yes, coming home,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Tell the plains I'm coming... home…</em>
</p>
<p>Very slowly, a blue aura shot upwards and fell around them like a shimmering dome, amazing the merchant and his guards. They then stepped out of the hut and shared the fire. They had a good chat while they had dinner before turning in under the hut.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Morning came and they left the pitstop after saying their goodbyes to the merchant. They made it to Nikubasa without any problems and hired a cart to take them back to the capital. They also hired a messenger to go ahead of them and sent Sir Aruran Doris' letter. Leaving in the evening, they asked the driver to go as fast as she could to Greenwish. As night fell, Polka illuminated the way with her driftglobe and they reached the town without a problem. They then checked into The Wishing Well to eat and rest. Once morning came, they hired another cart straight to Rivirapolis. The driver agreed and they went on their way. They breezed past Solena and made good ground.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, it didn't last too long as their driver suddenly got riddled with bolts and javelins, the cart slowing down to a halt as her body slumped over to the side. The sudden stop jostled the passengers and while they were a little shocked, they got over it quickly as a group of bandits and orcs ran at them down the road with two familiar berserkers.</p>
<p>"Oh, geez, them again?" groaned Aloe in a bored tone as everyone got ready, with Nene and Polka jumping out of the cart while she flew up into the air.</p>
<p>"Get them! Get them!" shouted the lead bandit as the other bandits shot at them while the orcs ran straight for the first one out of the cart… Nene.</p>
<p>"What in the world?" shrieked Nene as the orcs surrounded her and swung their greataxes at her. The protective blessing that Lamy put on them flickered and shattered with the sound of breaking glass. She tried her best to dodge and parry as the blows rained on her but she still got two deep wounds on each of her arms.</p>
<p>"Ah, ha, take this!" shouted the chief as he threw two daggers at Botan while bolts pelted the archer and the succubus.</p>
<p>The lion girl didn't reply to him, but quietly murmured something as she unleashed a burst arrow at the bandits, followed by a normal arrow at the charging berserker. She was a little intrigued when her arcane shot didn't trigger her bow's special ability. Meanwhile, the others tried their best to help Nene beat back the orcs that still persisted on wailing on the bard.</p>
<p>"Payback time for me!" declared the chief as he ran up to the cart, clambered onto the driver's seat and started attacking Botan. His men continued to cover him from range with their crossbows.</p>
<p>"Get off the cart!" roared Botan in return, ignoring the jab in her shoulder to kick him off the cart. Then, she proceeded to shoot him in the leg.</p>
<p>A flurry of snowballs and hail buffeted the group of shooting bandits as the cleric and the monk continued to take down more orcs. The succubus had a different idea.</p>
<p>She took off and flew down to the bandit chief. "Look into my eyes, big boy. I know what you truly desire," she said seductively, staring into his eyes.</p>
<p>In spite of the arrow in his leg, he stilled and said, "Yes, mistress."</p>
<p>"Retreat and run away. Then, turn yourself in to the Solena guards," she ordered him, just as the berserkers finally reached them and jumped in to attack, targeting Polka and Lamy.</p>
<p>"Yes, mistress," replied the bandit chief. The bard tried charming the remaining orc but failed, making it even angrier and got a greataxe to the gut.</p>
<p>"NENE!" the rest shouted in horror as the orc pulled out its greataxe and moved to the monk.</p>
<p>Botan shot it, one arrow striking its neck. Polka then wrenched the arrow out and drove it in its eye. As she moved on to fight the berserker, Lamy jumped off the cart, her legs getting clipped by the other berserker's greataxe. Her spirit weapon struck from the side as she placed her hands on Nene,s stomach and prayed. Tendrils of green aura reached out and bathed her body in it. The gaping wound magically closed up without a scratch.</p>
<p>"Thank the goddess," she muttered with relief as Aloe flew onto the cart and attacked the berserker behind it.</p>
<p>"Ah, ha! I'm back!" the bard shouted as she got off the floor and skewered the nearest berserker with her rapier.</p>
<p>"Nice!" cheered on Polka as two sets of arrows slammed into the berserker's chest. She then punched the same berserker in the stomach and then kicked him in the knees, causing him to fall forward onto the arrows.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, a ray of frost missed the remaining berserker and so the cleric mentally moved the spirit sword to attack him. The spectral blade slashed him in the back as Aloe raked her claws over his face. The maddened berserker struck back, the greataxe cutting across her legs.</p>
<p>"Take him down!" shouted Nene again, as she ran behind him and stabbed him in the back as well. The archer shot him in both the chest and the head. The monk followed up with a flying kick to the side of his head, landed and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying into a tree.</p>
<p>It took a while before the adrenaline stopped pumping through their system. Nene slumped down to the ground and said, "We need a break from this."</p>
<p>"I agree," stated Lamy, "Perhaps we should rest easy for a few days before thinking of another request."</p>
<p>"Alright, I guess we could give it a rest," stated Aloe as she helped the bard to her feet after she searched the bodies for loot, "Come on, let's get you back to the guild house."</p>
<p>"All aboard!" called out Polka as she and Botan got the horses under control. With them driving, the cart brought the party to the city with no problem at all. After paying some recompense for the driver's death to the stablemaster, they went straight for the guild house.</p>
<p>"Welcome back!" greeted Miyabi cheerfully, "The guild got the message. Lord Aruran was a little disappointed but understood the circumstances. As for the four of you… well, Lord Aruran has put your name forward in the competition, Polka."</p>
<p>"...what competition?" she asked, voicing what the bewildered party wanted to ask.</p>
<p>"Well, it's close to the time of the anniversary of the death of the black dragon," he explained, "So, every year around this time, there is a celebration to remember it. A festival of sorts. So, other than allowing various stalls to line the streets and bardic performances, there is a fighting competition. It's more to show respect to the brave warriors and wizards that helped to put down the dragon. About anyone is allowed to enter. Heck, Lord Aruran even approved betting booths for it. Allowing the city to have some extra fun, he says. It sort of helps to fund the guild a bit too, to Lord Aruran doesn't have to pour in so much."</p>
<p>"Ah… so he suggested my name? The monk asked hesitantly, "I'm not sure if I can..."</p>
<p>"Well, he has been training you, right?" spoke up Nene, "Maybe he's testing you."</p>
<p>"Ah, sounds like a good test," agreed Botan, "No worries. I'm sure you will do alright. You have been great so far."</p>
<p>"Hng… he better teach me a few more tricks then," muttered the fennec fox girl, blushing at all that praise.</p>
<p>"Well, the festival is in a few days time. I'm sure you'll be able to brush up on stuff in the meantime," supported the guild clerk.</p>
<p>"Yeah! We can take it easy the next few days." said Aloe happily.</p>
<p>"That would be a relief," added Lamy, "We have been away from the city for… almost two weeks. That is the longest we have been away from the city."</p>
<p>"...Miyabi, who else is in the competition?" asked the lore bard suddenly.</p>
<p>"Hmm, I think one other. Oga Aragami, I think is his name," he mused before launching in an explanation, "That makes it two. And before you say it's too many, there aren't that many who are capable enough to fight at a high level. At most, we have traveling fighters here and there that wish to test their strength. Not to mention we have some bounty hunters and those in the guard who like these kinds of things. All in all, a limited pool for a tournament-styled competition like this."</p>
<p>"I, for one, am looking forward to the festival. I wonder what sort of stalls are going to be there," muttered the lion girl eagerly.</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. Rewards to the party. It is a wonderful time. Botan may not get a trophy, but she got a new bow instead. Normal arrows can be doubled but her arcane shots can't, so no double bursting arrows. Right, on their way back to the capital, they bump into the bandit group that tried to stop them days ago. This time, they handled them instead of riding through on the stagecoach. But... this time, the bandits got some reinforcements in the form of orcs. Still, no problem and they made it back safely.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>And thus, the end of the current arc. I am still writing the next one and I am having fun coming up with weird and strange character exports. </strong>
  <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Chapter 24</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 24</p>
<p>The party took their time and rested the next few days… except Polka, who pretty much trained under Lord Aruran. Things were not so different. However, before the day the tournament started, they had a tasting of the bottled alcohol that the monk had made two weeks ago. A bittersweet drink that burned a little, but after it settled in their stomachs, they somehow got a fiery energized feeling from it. Then, the issue of portability came up. How were they going to bring it around? A glass bottle was too fragile. A tankard would spill it easily. A normal-sized keg or barrel would be too big. Then, Robel had an idea.</p>
<p>"You know, I suggested this to the artisan's guild one time," he stated as he dug around behind the bar, "I wanted to get a smaller, portable cask made of wood or iron and maybe sell those to travelers and the like so they only need to ask for a refill at any bar. I got a few samples back but I have yet to get any travelers to buy one. So, the project has been left hanging. Ah, there we are!"</p>
<p>He placed the creation on the bar for everyone to see. It was a small cask made of hardwood with an adjustable leather strap attached around the middle.</p>
<p>"...So I can use this?" asked the fennec fox girl.</p>
<p>"Why, yes! For the low price of a hundred silver," offered the bartender.</p>
<p>The monk shrugged and paid him; she had the funds after all. She then filled it with her beer; she poured in half the jug of the spirits before the small cask became full.</p>
<p>"Right… I wonder if I can use this in the tournament tomorrow," she mused as she shortened the strap and slung it to her belt.</p>
<p>"Well… other than the 'no killing' rule, I don't think there is," mused the bartender, "There might be a 'no destructive spells' one too but I'm not sure."</p>
<p>"Ah, sounds good," she replied with a grin.</p>
<p>The next day, the party headed to the area set aside for the competition. There wasn't a place set aside for an arena, so they just cordoned off a four-way junction and set up a raised wooden platform that filled the street. The event pretty much attracted a lot of attention and the citizens of the city filled all four sides of the street. The area around the stage was emptied and set aside for the competitors, which included Polka. Meanwhile, her friends were nearest to the front and had a good view of the future action. Okayu was seen taking charge of the place, tasking the guards with keeping the citizens away from the stage and keeping the peace in general. Soon, a loud horn sounded and the crowd fell silent. Lord Aruran stepped to the platform and started giving a speech.</p>
<p>"Citizens and fighters! We are gathered here today for the annual Dragon Slayers Tournament!" he said loudly as he gestured to everyone around him, "I shall keep this short. We come together to honor the bravery and skill of those who saved our beloved city. It is thanks to them that we still have a city to rebuild! We have come far and made this city even better! I hope you enjoy the spectacle of what is to come. Contestants! Bring your best and do not hold back, for your opponents will not. Just try not to wreck the stage too much, like last year's fight. Thank you and let the tournament begin!"</p>
<p>A loud cheer erupted as the crowd applauded and the tournament got underway. That day was scheduled to have eight fights, meaning sixteen contestants had signed up for this competition. And from the party's point of view, half of them were strong-looking but hadn't gotten into a fight with monsters or in an actual life and death situation. Probably guards or really strong commoners at most. Those were defeated easily, except one. A tall half-orc and ridiculously muscular. He brawled with his hands and seemed to have a good knowledge of choking holds.</p>
<p>Some of them seemed to be nobles as they were dressed flamboyantly and had proper speech. One of them stood out; a half-elf. He had piercing golden eyes and bright blonde hair. He had a lean but muscular build and he seemed to favor fighting with his fists. He oozed confidence but something felt really off about him. Before and after his fight, he seemed to love basking in the crowd's cheers.</p>
<p>Then there were the outliers. Adventurers like Polka and bounty hunters. There were three, including herself. Other than her, the other guild representative was Oga. He was a tall, dark-skinned man with a long, large horn coming out of his head. He sounded real serious too and talked little, probably psyching himself up for his fight. The other was a dog girl in simple clothes. A yellow, cloth vest of sorts with a white undershirt. She was the only bounty hunter that joined the tournament. She won with ease and waved to the crowd before she left the stage. The fennec fox girl had an equally easy time as she only had to grapple her opponent and punch him in the head to knock him out.</p>
<p>By the time the last fight was done, it had become nighttime and the party converged onto Robel's. There, they met Oga and a few of his friends.</p>
<p>"Yo!" he greeted with a toothy smile, "You're one of our newer members, right?"</p>
<p>"Yeah!" replied Polka, mirroring his smile, "You did great today!"</p>
<p>"Heh, naturally. It wouldn't be good to lose on the first day, after all," he stated good-naturedly. Then, he said, "Come! Join our table! There's plenty of space."</p>
<p>"Sure, why not?" said Nene as the party accepted the invitation.</p>
<p>Introductions went around quickly. They already knew Rosalyn but were surprised that she liked playing cards with them, even if she always had abysmal luck with them.</p>
<p>"Ha! I keep telling her that playing dice was more her forte," teased Yogiri. She was part of Oga's party, their main rogue as well as a master dice player. Her hair was mostly dyed red and wore black leathers.</p>
<p>"Che, you know she's a stubborn one," snarked Shien with a smirk, "Still, I really can't believe her non-existent luck." He was a former gang boss who fell into hard times in Gekko. He didn't tell them why he joined the guild, but only that he was looking for someone… and they were not to butt their noses into his business. His words, not theirs. A jackal boy with black hair, with two white-highlighted bangs framing his ever-smirking face.</p>
<p>"Shut up! We are here to celebrate Oga's win, not my luck!" retorted the librarian with a pout.</p>
<p>"That being said," said the large man as he pointed to Polka, "You did good today, kid. I hope we meet in the finals. I want to see how much you can give."</p>
<p>"Yosh! Sure!" exclaimed the monk, all fired up.</p>
<p>"All I'm asking for," he said before downing his tankard of ale in one gulp. Slamming down the tankard, he let out a sound of satisfaction. "Roberu! Another!" he yelled over the din.</p>
<p>"Coming right up!"</p>
<hr/>
<p>The next day had less fights, four to be precise. Polka had another easy fight with some nobleman. He seemed to be trained as a wizard, so probably someone from the school. He had a good idea to paralyze her with a spell. Unfortunately, she was able to break out of it the moment he tried to drag her to the edge of the platform to throw her off. He ended up kissing the ground instead.</p>
<p>The dog girl also breezed through her fight. She was quite fast, approaching her opponent and kicking her in the face, knocking the noblewoman out instantly. The half-elf nobleman also passed, but strangely enough, his opponent didn't show up. So, he got a pass. Then, it was Oga's turn. He stood opposite the more muscular half-orc. The appointed referee stood by the side and slowly counted down for the fight to start.</p>
<p>"Fighters ready! 3… 2… 1… Fight!"</p>
<p>They charged at each other and met in the middle of the platform. Both grabbed at each other in a grapple, each trying to gain the advantage over each other. Oga then slipped behind the half-orc while pinning his arm behind his back. He then tried grabbing the neck but the half-orc grabbed his wrist, pushed it away, and elbowed his neck twice. He grunted in pain and released his hold, giving the half-orc the chance to clock him in the side of the head. The half-orc then ran and gave him a clothesline across the throat, slamming him on the wooden floor.</p>
<p>"Ha, ha! I am strongest!" he roared as he paraded around as Oga rolled over and tried getting to his feet, while the crowd started chanting 'Fein'Gaz' over and over.</p>
<p>With a roar, Oga clashed with the half-orc again in a contest of grappling. This time, he got one up on him, suddenly going around and getting the half-orc in a chokehold. However, the half-orc was able to slip out of it and swung his fists. The first swing, Oga ducked under but the second clocked him under his jaw. Thankfully, he didn't have a glass jaw, but he staggered back in surprise. This let Fein'Gaz grab him and toss him into the air. Jumping up and grabbing him, he slammed the mazoku onto the wooden platform as both of them crashed down.</p>
<p>The half-orc was the first one to his feet and started stomping on the mazoku. The pain clearing up his dazed situation, Oga grabbed the leg and rolled over, dragging the half-orc down again. He then tried maintaining his hold on the leg but was pushed away. The grappling contest continued as they tried to gain the advantage over each other while landing a few punches here and there but to no avail. However, Fein'Gaz was able to maneuver himself around to lift the mazoku up in the air and fall over backward. Oga slammed into the wooden platform headfirst and he lay there... unmoving and unconscious.</p>
<p>"Ha, ha! I am strongest!" he roared as he paraded once again, the crowd erupting with cheers and chanting his name again and again.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the party and consequently the other guild members in the crowd were shocked that a senior guild member was defeated.</p>
<p>"Ha… I hope I don't fight him later on," muttered Polka after the fights for the day were over and they met up near the stage.</p>
<p>"Ha, ha, don't worry," assured Oga as he sat on the ground, his head and neck all bandaged up, "You'll have to fight that dog girl first. And Fein'Gaz has to fight that noble first."</p>
<p>"Come on, let's leave that for tomorrow. We should go and see the stalls at the main street and see if there's anything interesting there," suggested Nene.</p>
<p>"Ah, that would be good!" agreed Botan, "I wonder about the stalls here too."</p>
<p>"Just make sure to keep a good and on your pouches or they'll be taken from you." warned Shien with a smirk, "Crowded places are havens for pickpockets."</p>
<hr/>
<p>After having done sightseeing around the stalls and getting their dinner from the same place, the party walked back to the guild house. On the way, they noticed the half-orc looking very shifty while ducking into an alleyway. Curious, they took a detour to find out what was going on. They got near the entrance of the alley and peeked around the corner. They were silently surprised when they found him facing the half-elf nobleman.</p>
<p>"So glad you came to see me," the latter said haughtily, "I have an offer for you."</p>
<p>The former grunted and said gruffly, "What do you want?"</p>
<p>"Oh? Straight to the point, I see. Very well," replied the half-elf, "I will give you a hundred gold pieces to forfeit the match."</p>
<p>"Hmm..."</p>
<p>"Hold it!"</p>
<p>Lamy stepped out from behind the building and stated, "You are cheating! Why do you have to do this? Did you pay off today's fight as well?"</p>
<p>"Hmph, what I do is none of your business," the nobleman stated, "If an opponent is not worth the effort, why not send them on their way with compensation? We will not have to waste time and get on with our lives."</p>
<p>"Hey! This isn't fair, you know?" said Polka as she revealed herself as well. Then, the others came out of hiding to back the two up.</p>
<p>"Hah, since when is life ever..."</p>
<p>"You think you are stronger than me?" growled out the half-orc, interrupting and glaring at the noble.</p>
<p>"But of course," he replied with an arrogant smirk, as if it was fact.</p>
<p>The former roared and shouted, "I am strongest! No deal! Get in the ring tomorrow and I'll show you! I'll crush you with my muscles!"</p>
<p>"Oh? You still intend to waste my time?" the latter sneered, "Very well. If you wish to learn defeat, I shall teach it to you tomorrow." With that, he turned around with a flourish and walked away out the other end of the alley.</p>
<p>The half-orc then turned to the party and spotted the monk. He walked up to her and said, "Hmm, good fighter. Hope to fight you in the tournament." He then went his own way out of the alley.</p>
<p>They stood there silently, watching him walk off into the night. "Do we need to tell Lord Aruran?" asked Polka.</p>
<p>"Maybe not? That arrogant noble will probably get beaten down tomorrow," reasoned Botan.</p>
<p>"True..." mused Nene.</p>
<p>"Well, I could always charm him into doing something embarrassing," suggested Aloe.</p>
<p>"Please, no," said Lamy sternly, "Two wrongs do not make a right. You might even make it worse."</p>
<p>"Alright, alright, I won't," the succubus replied, putting her hands up in mock surrender, "I know you don't like me or something."</p>
<p>"No, it is not that," the cleric hit back, "You are what you are, I cannot change a thing about it, so it would be pointless to hate you for that. What I rather prevent is your actions that may bring trouble to all of us. So, I rather if you get a hold of yourself, if not for random strangers, do it for your friends."</p>
<p>"...Sorry," the succubus apologized, looking a little ashamed.</p>
<p>"Don't worry about it," said the lore bard as she gave the fiendish girl a hug to try and comfort her, "If you do, Mama Lamy will remind you."</p>
<p>"Excuse me? When did I become her mother?" asked the half-snow elf incredulously amidst the giggles from the others. Meanwhile, the succubus smiled gratefully and returned the hug.</p>
<p>"Okay, okay, let's go back and get some sleep," said Nene as she calmed the others down, "We have Polka's tournament to watch tomorrow."</p>
<p>"Argh… please don't remind me," groaned the fennec fox girl as they continued on their way.</p>
<p>"I'm sure you can do it," assured the lion girl, "If not mistaken, based on how the matches are done, you're fighting the bounty hunter dog girl next. As long as you make use of what Lord Aruran taught you, you'll be fine. Don't forget your beer too."</p>
<p>"Yeah, have confidence!" quipped Aloe.</p>
<p>The monk walked on silently for a while. When they reached the guild house, she said resolutely, "Thanks, everyone. I should have more confidence in myself. I learned a lot of things and now have something to boost my skill. I'll do my best tomorrow!"</p>
<p>"That's the spirit!" cheered on the archer as they went in.</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello, readers. I am back with the next arc and the next chapter. Wanted to have at least a full set of chapters ready before posting up, so yeah... So, the festival, as well as the tournament, begins. Now, first, we introduce a few more guild members shown here. They are a team of three.</strong>
</p>
<p>Oga Aragami</p>
<p>Mazoku Warrior</p>
<p>Path of the Juggernaut Barbarian with fighter dip(2 levels)</p>
<p>
  <strong>Former Officer of the Siege Breaker corps, able to break down walls while in his barbarian rage. He joined the guild with Shien after having come here post-retirement.</strong>
</p>
<p>Shien Kageyama</p>
<p>Jackal Kemonomimi</p>
<p>Swashbuckler Rogue/Whisper Bard</p>
<p>
  <strong>Came to the city in search of his best friend, but ended up befriending Oga and joining the guild. In his off-time, he continues his search, often times Oga accompanying him.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>I tried to keep to MaFia's backgrounds as close as possible. Shien being a leader of his own gang, I think got it right with his combination. Charismatic while skilled in dual daggers.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>As for the last member...</strong>
</p>
<p>Yogiri</p>
<p>Human Rogue</p>
<p>Wild Card</p>
<p>
  <strong>So... she is supposed to be a delinquent. I put her under the Urchin background. I'm considering linking her to the orphanage that was mentioned many chapters ago. She had gone to the school Artia is at but dropped out of it to join the guild. She is a very capable rogue with the Wild Card subclass, taken from the D&amp;D Beyond Partnered Content with Legends of Runeterra. Instead of using cards like Twisted Fate, she uses dice. She has a pool of dice, the same amount and value as her sneak attack dice, which can be used to alter enemy attacks into her favor a.k.a. miss. She also recently gained the ability to blink around the battlefield, just like he could.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Now that we have that out of the way, on with the story. Day 1. Polka and Oga get past their fights. Day 2. Oga loses but Polka wins hers. Then, Holo5 finds out that the nobleman is attempting to bribe his next opponent. They put a stop to that.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>And yes, everyone, Korone is taking part as well. No, she will not be taking any fingers.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, we shall see the next round of fights. Not to mention the extra player characters I whipped up that I may use later on. </strong>
  <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
<p>Omake: Death Day</p>
<p>The windows were shut. The shutters were clasped tightly. Rushia sat in the small dining room of her house. The first day of the festival. She spent her day at the school instead of joining in the revelry, finishing up on several tasks before heading straight home. She then shut her doors and sealed herself inside the house, not intending to leave until the festival was over. The larder was stocked with enough food to last her the duration of it. Still, it helped that the hired help wasn't exactly hired help either.</p>
<p>"Are you alright?" asked a voice as a patchwork arm placed a glass of wine in front of the necromancer.</p>
<p>"...I would be lying if I said I was fine, Ollie," she eventually replied after swirling the alcohol a little before taking a sip.</p>
<p>Next to her stood a zombie girl sporting blood-red hair and tattered clothes with a blood-red ribbon on the front. Her long hair was pinned up with a longsword. She wore a maid hat and was holding a silver-plated tray from which she took a soup bowl. She then placed the bowl, a napkin, and a soup spoon on the table.</p>
<p>"Are you sick?" the zombie girl asked worriedly.</p>
<p>The necromancer sighed and stated, "No, Ollie, I'm not sick. I'm just sad, that's all."</p>
<p>"But, it's a day of celebration, isn't it?" the zombie maid asked in confusion.</p>
<p>"Perhaps for them, it is," she stated morosely, half-agreeing with her, "I would know. I helped to kill the dragon after all. I still remember my friends. Subaru. Choco. That dragonborn bard... Coco Naught or something. My stepfather. He was a lich you know."</p>
<p>"You were raised by a lich?" the maid said in disbelief.</p>
<p>"He was a necromancer when he raised me," she clarified, "Still... the reason I don't join in the celebration is that he died in the fight. Died protecting me. He would have said that he was just showing off his genius, but in my heart... even now... I still feel that he still cared for me with that pitch-black heart of his." By the time she ended her small declaration, she was clenching her free fist as she placed the glass on the table, still half-full with wine.</p>
<p>Ollie stood there silently, stewing inwardly with the revelation while Rushia moved on to sip on the appetizer.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Chapter 25</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 25</p>
<p>Polka's match was set to be first, in the late morning. She stood there calmly, muttering to herself to keep it together, to have confidence that it was possible to win. Surprisingly, she wasn't as nervous as expected. Compared to her, the bounty hunter projected an air of confidence and self-assurance. She then realized the bounty hunter was motioning her to come closer. Curious, she did so.</p>
<p>"Hello, my name is Korone Inugami," the hunter greeted jovially, "What's yours?"</p>
<p>"Erm, Polka Omaru," she replied hesitantly.</p>
<p>"Hello, Polka. Let's have a good fight," stated Korone with a grin</p>
<p>"Ah, sure," she replied with a smile.</p>
<p>"Fighters ready!"</p>
<p>Both of them nodded to the referee and got into their fighting stances.</p>
<p>"3… 2… 1… Fight!"</p>
<p>Korone was suddenly in her face with a flying kick. Quickly recovering from the shock, she dodged around the next two punches. Then, punching the dog girl in the head, she aimed down. It was blocked with both hands, so she got a quick punch to the head again.</p>
<p>Her opponent smiled, looking a little impressed as she aimed a kick at her head. She ducked under but wasn't prepared for a tap to her temple. She immediately leaned back to dodge the second tap, quickly ripping the cask from her belt and taking a swig. She then tossed the container at the dog girl's head. It bounced off it into her hands again and she sent a straight kick at her chest. Korone parried with both hands, but she swung around and used the momentum to return the kick to the temple. She then leaned back into a staggered drunken stance.</p>
<p>The bounty hunter's eyes lit up and said, "Oh..." She then leaped forward with a wide swing. Polka leaned back to dodge but got kicked in the side. The monk then leaned down and ducked another punch but got an elbow to her jaw.</p>
<p>Grunting from the pain, she took another drink and leaped forward, somersaulting and landing with a kick. She missed the first one as the bounty hunter backed away but lashed out with her other leg as she landed, catching her in the side as she approached again. The fennec fox girl then went in low with consecutive sweeps, causing Korone to back away. It didn't last too long as she jumped over and tried punching the monk in the head. Polka stopped her advance to block but she got a chop to the neck from the follow-up attack. This shocked her and made her weak at the knees. As she staggered back, she kept her cool and dodged another punch.</p>
<p>Taking another drink, she could feel a little groggy as all that moving around made her feel like throwing up. She was able to keep it down and pretended to turn around, pretending to throw up. As she heard the steps come nearer, she lashed out with a back kick and caught her opponent in the stomach. She then leaned back and pummeled the bounty hunter's defense with consecutive punches while advancing.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for her, Korone was able to recover from the sudden hit and jumped to the side while punching down. Her fist slammed into the fennec fox girl's forehead and the force crashed her head against the wooden floor. As Polka lost consciousness, she could hear the countdown and the dog girl giving her a thumbs up.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"By the gods, she lost," muttered Lamy in shock. Botan just stood there without a word, also quite astonished.</p>
<p>"Well… that dog girl is a bounty hunter… more experienced?" said Aloe hesitantly, fishing for a reason.</p>
<p>"Makes sense," agreed Nene as the countdown ended and the girl declared the winner, "We don't know how much experience she has. At least Polka put up a good fight."</p>
<p>"Hello, are you her friends?"</p>
<p>They looked to the owner of the voice. It was the bounty hunter and she had Polka over her shoulder.</p>
<p>"Er, yes?" replied the lore bard hesitantly.</p>
<p>"Oh, good. Here!" she said as she handed the unconscious monk to the archer. Then, she introduced herself, "Hi, I'm Korone Inugami. Nice to meet you. Are you with the guild?"</p>
<p>"Yes, they are," said Okayu as she suddenly appeared next to them.</p>
<p>"Okayu!" she exclaimed as she jumped all over the cat girl.</p>
<p>"Guah!? Stop! I'll fall!" the urban hunter protested as she tried to steady herself. After sniffing her a little, she added, "You also need a bath, Korone. You're sticky."</p>
<p>"Eh? No, I don't!" she protested in a similar manner as she playfully punched the cat girl's shoulder.</p>
<p>"Alright, alright," conceded Okayu. Turning to the party, she stated, "It's time for lunch. Go get something to eat now if you want to catch the next fight."</p>
<p>"Oh! Thanks for letting us know!" replied Nene. They waited a moment for the duo to walk away before turning to the rest and saying, "So Fein'Gaz and that half-elf is next. Does anyone want to watch it? I know I do."</p>
<p>"It would satisfy my curiosity," admitted Lamy, "To see him taken down a notch would be good."</p>
<p>"I don't mind. I'm interested too," agreed Botan, still carrying Polka over her shoulder.</p>
<p>"Count me in. I want to see him get pounded to the ground too," agreed Aloe eagerly.</p>
<p>"Alright, then. To lunch we go," declared the bard as she led them to Robel's.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The crowd was loud, both eager to see the next match as well as eager to support both sides. The muscular half-orc stood in one corner while the calm and collected half-elf stood in the other. Slowly, they approached each other and met several feet apart.</p>
<p>"As magnanimous as I am, I shall give you a final chance to back out, half-orc," the noble declared arrogantly as he tossed a red stone into the air. It starts orbiting around his head.</p>
<p>"Screw you!" he shouted back, "I am the strongest. No chance I'll lose!"</p>
<p>"Fighters ready!"</p>
<p>The half-elf chuckled and said, "So be it. It seems I must teach you a lesson."</p>
<p>"3… 2… 1… Fight!"</p>
<p>With a roar, Fein'Gaz charged forward while he roared, his skin gaining a slight red tinge. He tried grabbing the half-elf but he seemed to dance out of his reach just as his fists closed in on him.</p>
<p>The half-elf laughed haughtily. He raised his right hand to his face and sneered as he pointed with the same hand at the half-orc, "You dare try to lay your hands on me? Reyo Credo? Go and die, fool."</p>
<p>This pissed off Fein'Gaz and he started swinging his fists wildly in a frenzy, the roar of the crowd rising up to support him while drowning out the sound of a bell. Reyo just laughed and danced around his swings while counter-attacking with several straights.</p>
<p>He then shouted, "Fool! Flailing like a fish does nothing!" He then dove in and punched the half-orc in the solar plexus, stunning him. Then, he swung three times, all his punches slamming into his face. He ended his barrage by snapping his fingers and pointing at him, the faint toll of a bell drowned out once again by the crowd, "Lie down and die, fool!"</p>
<p>Reyo began swaying again, dancing out of reach of the recovered half-orc who was still enraged by his taunts. However, one of his flailing limbs actually punched the half-elf's face. An eventuality. The crowd cheered and roared in support. Suddenly, the noble burst out laughing.</p>
<p>"You call that a punch!?" he shouted with derision as he gave Fein'Gaz an uppercut, "WEAK!" He then landed two body shots and a punch that broke the half-orc's nose. As he staggered back, the noble then snapped his fingers and pointed at him, declaring, "You fool! You think you can compare to me!?"</p>
<p>The half-orc only roared back as he steadied himself, pumping and flexing before charging at the nobleman again. He only got off two swings before being punched in the solar plexus again.</p>
<p>"You!"</p>
<p>He continued to laugh as he landed two body shots and an uppercut..</p>
<p>"Are!"</p>
<p>Punching hard enough to actually lift the muscular half-orc.</p>
<p>"Weak!"</p>
<p>He leaned back and gestured, two energy beams shot out of his eyes and blasted his body.</p>
<p>"WEAK!"</p>
<p>It was a testament to the half-orc's fortitude that he landed on his feet. Bruises covered his body and his breath was heavy. Yet, he still persisted and pushed forward, growling as he did so.</p>
<p>"Why do you still insist on fighting?" Reyo jeered arrogantly as the crowd started to boo him.</p>
<p>"You only punch me because I let you," he continued as he did allow a punch to hit his chest but danced away from all the others.</p>
<p>"You still insist on fighting your betters?" he asked condescendingly as he thrust out a shadow-wreathed hand and pushed the half-orc away by the head. Fein'Gaz yelled in pain but still pushed on, running up to him swinging once more.</p>
<p>"I admit, your tenacity is admirable," he praised as he let one punch hit his chest, "But fighting against futility is just useless." He then used both hands to chop his neck on both sides and punched his face as hard as he could, instantly downing the half-orc in one punch. The muscular fighter slammed into the wooden floor hard, leaving cracks all over the platform.</p>
<p>The crowd fell silent. Reyo smirked to himself and simply walked off the platform, leaving his unconscious opponent behind.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The hushed din of the crowd slowly died out as the citizens slowly dispersed. The party sans Polka were stunned by what happened.</p>
<p>"For all his bluster, he actually defeated Fein'Gaz," muttered Lamy as they watched the half-orc get carried away on a stretcher to the temple for healing..</p>
<p>"...Just how did that happen?" said Botan in disbelief</p>
<p>"I have no idea," replied Nene as she shook her head, "I don't think anyone expected him to lose."</p>
<p>"Hmm, so… tomorrow we have a showdown between Korone and Reyo," murmured Aloe in thought, "I doubt she would accept any bribes. Plus, she is friendly with Okayu. Double no."</p>
<p>"...let's go check on Polka," suggested the bard after a while.</p>
<p>They headed back to the guild house. Thankfully, Polka had woken up. However, she was still feeling a bit off and wanted to stay in for the rest of the day. Then, they decided to split up to do their own thing after agreeing to meet back up at the guild house right before dinner time.</p>
<p>Lamy had gone to the temple to see if there was anything she could help with. Fein'Gaz was fine and should wake up after some time at rest. The surprising thing she learned from the healers was that there were signs of necrotic damage to his body. While there were no restrictions to magic in the tournament, this was a little concerning to the half-snow elf.</p>
<p>After some time of walking between stalls, Botan came across a shooting stall. They were offering stuffed plushies as prizes. Interest piqued, she stepped up and paid a few copper to play.</p>
<p>"Mogu, mogu, enjoying yourself?"</p>
<p>She glanced behind her and exclaimed, "Oh? Okayu?"</p>
<p>The cat girl stepped up to the stall with a smiling Korone behind her. "Come, let's see who's a better shot."</p>
<p>The lion girl gave her an eager grin and replied, "You're on!"</p>
<p>Aloe stayed away from the crowds. Even if she could pass herself as a tiefling, she was still wary of possible holy warriors that will be walking around there. She had been lucky so far that Lamy had been quite understanding, but she didn't want to push it. Instead, she spent some time in the alley behind the guild house to practice her dagger throwing. She was getting bored with it until Yogiri showed up and decided to turn it into an accuracy duel.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Nene found herself in front of the performing stage, watching Siren Song. They had come to the city and were staying there for the duration of the festival. The members of the bardic group were there as well, rehearsing their moves and songs. It wasn't time for the performance yet, so they were not wearing their costumes. The troupe was being directed by a blue-skinned lady who was standing near the front.</p>
<p>"Alright, ladies. Time to take five. Go freshen yourselves up. Performance in a few hours," she said after looking satisfied with the practice.</p>
<p>"Thank you, Ay!" cheered the Sirens gratefully before running off the stage.</p>
<p>The djinni then turned to address her, much to her surprise, "A fan?"</p>
<p>"Oh, umm, kind of?" she said hastily with a blush, "I loved their singing ever since I was young. They're amazing."</p>
<p>The elemental beamed and stated proudly, "As well they should be! They poured a lot of hard work into their performances. It wouldn't do to be anything less."</p>
<p>Something about that seemed to stand out about that to her. "Have you been with them since the beginning?" she asked.</p>
<p>"Ever since it was just me and Sora," confirmed the djinni, her brown eyes seemingly twinkling brightly, "She has grand dreams. One of them was to unite the world with song. In a way, she achieved that. All the better that she made good friends along the way. I'm proud of her."</p>
<p>She thought for a moment and then asked the lore bard, "Want to meet them?"</p>
<p>"...Eh?"</p>
<p>"It may take some time to clean up, but I'm sure they can make time to meet a fan," said the djinni with a smile.</p>
<p>"Umm, I'm sure there are other, bigger fans than me..." Nene muttered bashfully as she stared at her feet.</p>
<p>"Do you see anyone else loitering around here?" Ay pointed out.</p>
<p>Her eyes went wide and looked around. Everyone else was milling about at the stalls. Save for her.</p>
<p>"Right? Stay here for a moment. I'll check on the girls and let you know to show up when they're done. Be right back," the djinni stated before heading off in the direction of the troupe leaving the starry-eyed fan standing there.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Eh, where did you get that?" asked Aloe.</p>
<p>Botan, who had come in with a large owlbear plush, said with a grin, "I won it at a stall."</p>
<p>"Ah, another trophy," stated Polka with a knowing smile, getting nods from the happy lion girl. Thankfully, the fennec fox girl was feeling better and well enough to move around.</p>
<p>"Where did you get that?" Lamy asked Nene. She was holding a picture frame in both her hands, close to her chest as if it was a piece of treasure.</p>
<p>She mumbled an indiscernible reply. "Excuse me?" said the half-snow elf questioningly.</p>
<p>"...I got some autographs..." the blushing bard muttered more audibly, "From Siren Song."</p>
<p>"Who?" asked the succubus.</p>
<p>"A famous bard troupe," stated the cleric, looking a little impressed. Continuing to address the bard, she said, "I never took you for a fan. But, I can understand. Their singing is simply melodious and beautiful to listen to."</p>
<p>"Ah, ha," the lore bard sounded as she rubbed the back of her head.</p>
<p>"Hmm, let's watch a show after dinner," suggested the archer, "I'm curious about them."</p>
<p>"Yeah! Sounds good!" cheered on the monk.</p>
<p>"So, what did you do, Aloe?" asked Nene as they walked over to the bar.</p>
<p>"Um, I was practicing my dagger throwing skills with Yogiri," the succubus replied as they stepped inside.</p>
<p>"Oh, that's great," praised the lore bard, "It's good that you're mixing around with our seniors."</p>
<p>"Ah, thanks," the former replied with a smile, "She had some interesting pointers and some tricks she does. I'm not as good as she is though."</p>
<p>"You can do things your own way," interrupted Botan, "You don't have to copy exactly what Yogiri does. You can use her tips but how you use your weapons is your own. Don't worry too much about it. Yogiri is Yogiri. You are you."</p>
<p>Initially shocked, Aloe gave her a grateful smile and then chatted with her party until the end of the day.</p>
<p>The Siren Song performance was absolutely splendid and they gained a few more fans that day.</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. The tournament continues. The first order of the chapter, the new characters. They aren't related to Hololive at all, but exports from other places.</strong>
</p>
<p>Fein'Gaz Bearbrawler</p>
<p>Half-orc Barbarian fighter</p>
<p>Berserker with fighter dip(2 levels)</p>
<p>
  <strong>He is an expy of Zangief from Street Fighter. So, grappler with pretty good unarmed damage since he has high strength. One advantage over Oga is that he is more capable of fighting other people. But... if you want Oga to break through a wall like the Kool-Aid man, he's your guy.</strong>
</p>
<p>Reyo Credo</p>
<p>Half-elf Warlock/Monk</p>
<p>Archfey Patron/Path of the Astral Self</p>
<p>
  <strong>This... is Dio Brando from JoJo part 1... with a few differences. He is not a vampire just yet, but he is on his way to being similar enough. Instead of blood eye lasers, he shoots eldritch blasts. Unarmed combat from monk and the charismatic effect of Fey Presence matches him closely. As for his name, I got inspired by the Kiara/Polka collab stream. Kiara is the Real Deal, right? Rio Dio Da!</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>And then, the new gen2 of Hololive Indonesia.</strong>
</p>
<p>Ollie Kureiji</p>
<p>Zombie Girl</p>
<p>Dueling Fighter</p>
<p>
  <strong>So, she has no martial archetype as... in lore, she died and she forgot her skills in her archetype. So she is stuck being a basic fighter with a longsword in her hair. But, she can still fight. Plus, since she has been animated by Rushia, she also gets the bonuses that Rushia grants due to her Necromancy College. The Undead Thralls benefits of max hitpoint increase and extra proficiency bonus to attacks. So, add that to a level 11 fighter and slap on Undead Fortitude. And abracadabra, a battle maid for Rushia. </strong>
  <strong>I will be featuring the other gen2 later down the line but not as soon. But, I have already settled on something for Anya. Look forward for it.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Right, back to the story. Day 3. Polka versus Korone. Korone wins while Polka learns a bit better how to use her alcohol in a fight. Drink too much and all that sloshing inside will make you vomit. Then, the next fight is Reyo versus Fein'Gaz. Not much 'muda muda muda' but more 'kinjaku kinjaku' and no 'WRRYYY'. Arrogance is very fitting, I believe.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>After the fights are over, we have some relaxation. Polka rests at the house. Lamy goes to the temple. Botan gets into a shooting contest with Okayu. Aloe gets one on one time with Yogiri. Nene spends time mixing around with her senpais before their performance. Commence joy.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, we shall see the 3rd placing match and the finals. </strong>
  <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Chapter 26</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 26</p>
<p>The next day couldn't come any sooner. The third placing fight was scheduled before lunchtime and that meant Polka was facing off against Fein'Gaz.</p>
<p>"Will you be alright with this?" asked Nene worriedly, glancing over at the half-orc who was busy flexing for the crowd.</p>
<p>"I dunno..." said Polka as she shrugged, "But, I might be able to get him to be a strong man for the circus."</p>
<p>Botan chuckled and stated, "Hu, hu, if you do get him to join your circus, you will definitely get a lot of support."</p>
<p>"Well, do your best, Polka," encouraged Lamy.</p>
<p>"Yeah, just do your best. As long as you do, you won't have regrets," agreed Aloe, "At least, I think so."</p>
<p>"Hi, hi, thanks everyone. I'll be sure to do my best," replied the monk gratefully.</p>
<p>She got up on the platform and slowly psyched herself up as she moved near the center. She pat her cheeks and hopped in place, loosening her joints and her body in preparation for the fight. She also learned a bit from her last fight; don't drink too much of the booze from the cask. Let it settle down in her stomach first. Too much moving around with a stomach that is filling too fast is vomit-inducing.</p>
<p>The half-orc stopped posing for a moment and turned to face the fennec fox girl. He smirked and said, "Good you aren't running away."</p>
<p>"After this, I want you to join my circus," she offered with a grin.</p>
<p>This gave him pause. A few seconds later, he chuckled and replied, "Heh, we'll see."</p>
<p>"Fighters ready!"</p>
<p>Both fighters nodded and slid into their stances. They were prepared.</p>
<p>"3… 2… 1… Fight!"</p>
<p>Fein'Gaz was surprisingly fast, as he suddenly charged up to Polka and grabbed her head. Pulling her in and grabbing her by the waist, he jumped up and slammed her down on the platform with a loud crash. She slowly pushed herself up as he took a few steps back, posing and raising his arms in response to the cheers of the crowd. She then took the cask off her belt and took a long drink.</p>
<p>"Hah, that won't work on- urk," the half-orc started but was taken aback by the cask suddenly being tossed into his face.</p>
<p>The monk then jumped up and grabbed the cask after it bounced off his then drove her foot into the same spot, his head snapping back. As she landed on her feet, he tried grabbing her and failing. She leaned back to avoid his meaty hands and swerved away from the hard punch he tried using. Snapping a punch to his face again, she sent blow after blow at his body. Instead of blocking them, he weathered the blows by flexing his muscles as he looked to the sky and roared, his skin gaining a red tinge. Without warning, he then spun around, his extending arms catching her in the side of the head.</p>
<p>Shaking her head, Polka took another drink to numb the pain. Fein'Gaz tried grabbing the cask away but she ducked down low backward and shot back up again to headbutt his chest. As he staggered back, she held up her hands and lurched forward. Feinting with her left, she slammed her elbow into his chest. He blocked the follow-up elbow but got punched in the face for his troubles. Her momentum got interrupted again when he did his spinning attack, his fists catching her in the side of her head again. As she stumbled back, she got kicked in the gut. She almost threw up but she kept it down and got into her stance again.</p>
<p>Taking a breath, the monk leaped with a knee strike, her knee slamming into his meaty palm. As she fell, she lashed out with a kick as it went under his hand and struck his face. Landing on both feet, she swept her leg out and missed as Fein'Gaz lifted his leg up. With little warning, she then punched his lifted leg in the knee, then slammed her elbow in his other. The half-orc reached down and tried to grab her but failed as she rolled over to the side. He then waited for her to get up and lunged. He grabbed her by the waist and lifted her over, slamming her neck-first into the ground as he fell back. He kept his grip on her and lifted her over again. And again. And again, finally letting go after she fell unconscious after the fourth fall. He then got up and paraded himself around again as the monk was carried away to the temple for healing.</p>
<p>The party immediately followed after the stretcher attendants, worried for Polka. They quickly made their way there and waited outside with the exception of the cleric, who went in with the attendants. After a while, she came out again.</p>
<p>"She is fine now," she informed her friends, all of them becoming relieved, "She just needs to sleep now."</p>
<p>"Phew, that was close," muttered Nene.</p>
<p>They stood there in silence until Botan said, "So… let's get some lunch, then bring some back to Polka."</p>
<p>"Yeah! She'll be hungry when she wakes up," agreed Aloe with several nods, "Let's do this!"</p>
<hr/>
<p>Polka woke up and was still feeling a little weak, so Lamy and Botan decided to keep her company while Nene and Aloe returned to the tournament area to watch the final match. The crowd made a din as everyone was busy talking at the same time while waiting for it to start.</p>
<p>Reyo was sitting on one corner, busy reading a book, his red stone already orbiting his head. Korone was in the opposite corner, stretching and preparing for the match. Soon, Lord Aruran stepped forward.</p>
<p>"Fighters ready!" he called out. It seems he was to be the referee of the final match.</p>
<p>The half-elf calmly closed the book and laid it on the platform. Then, both fighters moved to the center of the platform and got into the fight stances.</p>
<p>"3… 2… 1… Fight!"</p>
<p>"Come, approach me if you dare," he smirked as he motioned her to come. The atmosphere on the platform itself suddenly became menacing and suffocating at the same time.</p>
<p>Korone frowned and went in blazing anyway. Yet, somehow he was able to dodge her punches and kicks. Suddenly, he chuckled a little before going in as well, his attacks actually connecting. After several punches and kicks connecting, the both of them started trading blows. Punches, kicks, and blocks continued furiously. Then, the bounty hunter got the upper hand when a stray punch smacked him in the side of his head. She landed a flurry of blows on her stunned opponent, with two of her punches crashing into his nose.</p>
<p>Reyo glared at her as he stumbled back, his nose cracking loudly as he reset it. "You dare fight against your betters!" he roared as he surged forward, lashing out with a kick. He followed up with two knee strikes and a punch to her head. She got hit by the kick but blocked the rest and spun around with a roundhouse kick, which he ducked under. She then swung at him several times with the last one tapping him in the forehead.</p>
<p>"Damn it all! Have this!" he shouted angrily as he shot her with his eye blasts.</p>
<p>The eldritch blasts crackled as they slammed into her body and arms, she flinched in response. The half-elf took this chance to move in.</p>
<p>"Ha ha ha! You won't feel a thing when I'm done!" he declared arrogantly with a malicious grin as he hammered on her seemingly battered defense.</p>
<p>A failed block meant her hand cushioning the punch to her head. Two other punches being parried away as she supposedly recovered from the blasts and one kick slamming into her side. It was then she suddenly grabbed his leg before he could pull it away.</p>
<p>"What is the meaning of this?" he shouted as he tried to shake off her firm grip.</p>
<p>Despite her bruised state, Korone smiled and said, "Press the attack, Hound Dog."</p>
<p>A visage of a growling, humanoid dog person suddenly materialized, looming out of her body with large, muscular arms. It howled and started raining punches on the half-elf noble.</p>
<p>"...oraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraHORAYO!"</p>
<p>Right before the last punch, she let go and Reyo's beaten form flew off towards his corner of the platform. The crowd fell silent as their minds processed what just happened. And then, it went wild as loud cheers and roared erupted, the crowd relieved that the arrogant noble got his just desserts. Aloe and Nene just grinned at each other and joined in the cheering.</p>
<p>The bounty hunter waved at everyone as she walked off the stage. The half-elf noble propped himself on his elbow as he slammed the fist of his other arm on the wooden platform. A few people, presumed to be his servants, went over to help him. As he was ushered away, Lord Aruran got on the platform and announced, "Fellow citizens. Thank you for coming and witnessing the fine display of skill and power. Today is the final match of the tournament. Now, I present to you your winner, Bounty Hunter Korone."</p>
<p>Thunderous applause accompanied the dog girl as she got on stage again. She waved to the crowd as she stood in front of the lord. He then shook her hand and talked to her for a moment. She shook her head a few times before nodding. After that, he turned to the crowd to say, "I am afraid that is all for the day. Thank you for attending. Please, continue enjoying yourself during the festival. Have a good day."</p>
<p>The crowd applauded again before slowly dispersing. The lord and the bounty hunter walked down from the platform, shook hands, and went on their separate ways. Then, Lord Aruran caught sight of the two and walked over to greet them.</p>
<p>"Well, how is Polka doing?" he asked.</p>
<p>"She's doing fine," the bard assured, "She's just feeling under the weather right now but she should be up and running tomorrow."</p>
<p>"Ah, that is good to hear," he replied with a beaming smile. Then, he snapped his fingers and said, "Oh, I have good news. Miss Korone there turned down half the tournament prizes. She only took a thousand gold, leaving the rest of the gold as well as some enchantment offers. So, the extra gold will be turned over to the emergency funds of the city. The enchantment offers, we will take. Thus, I will be speaking with the other adventuring parties and offer them one each, yours included."</p>
<p>"Wow, amazing!" exclaimed the succubus.</p>
<p>He chuckled and said politely, "I do try… right, I must attend to other matters. I will take my leave now."</p>
<p>As he walked off, the two grinned at each other and hurried off to the temple to break the good news to the others.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Wow, I wonder what kind of enchantments we should get for our stuff?" said Polka eagerly at dinnertime.</p>
<p>"Maybe wait first?" suggested Botan after taking a drink, "I mean, we have that ticket so someone will get something new. It may be a new weapon or new armor. We use that ticket first and then we decide what to use the enchantment on."</p>
<p>"Hmm, that seems reasonable enough. I agree with that," supported Lamy with several nods.</p>
<p>"Yeah… let's go visit the shop tomorrow? I mean, we don't have anything else to do, right?" proposed Nene before scooping another spoonful of chicken soup.</p>
<p>"Ah, I don't think we ever visited Camryn at the enchanter's place, right?" added Aloe, "Sounds like as good a time as any."</p>
<p>"Yosh! Now that's a plan," declared the monk happily.</p>
<p>The next day, they made their way through the crowds and eventually found the enchanter's shop. It was moderately sized inside with all manner of books on one side and a multitude of jars and bottles with various reagents and materials. Manning the counter was a bald gnome with a short greying beard. He wore old-looking brown robes and a bandanna over his forehead.</p>
<p>He saw the party and muttered in a bored tone, "Yes? How may I help you?"</p>
<p>"Huh, I thought the shop will be closed during the festival," commented Aloe.</p>
<p>"Hah, I still need to train my new apprentice. There is still much for him to learn," the man said with a frown, "Now, unless you have any actual business..."</p>
<p>Then, Nene produced the ticket and handed it to him, "Here, sir. We found this in a wreck in the desert. Is this from your shop?"</p>
<p>The gnome picked it up and scrutinized it for a while. "A pity. He was a good customer," he muttered as he finished looking it over, "Well, I suppose you want it?"</p>
<p>"Well, if it isn't a bother..."</p>
<p>He waved the bard's concerns away and said, "The down payment was already given. And he did promise to retrieve it. A shame he wouldn't be able to keep it. And rather than let it collect dust in my store, I suppose I could relinquish it for...two hundred and fifty gold."</p>
<p>"...Alright, I'll pay for it," agreed the bard, "Can we have a look at it first?"</p>
<p>"Ah, I'll go get it then," the enchanter replied as he hopped off the stool and walked to the back. A few seconds later, he brought out what looked like a set of studded leather armor.</p>
<p>"...Is that all?" asked Botan, voicing what the puzzled party was thinking.</p>
<p>"Pah, is that all, she asks," he snarked as he placed the set on the counter, "This set has been enchanted with a glamour that transforms it into other clothes. It's still armor, but it can be made to look like your everyday clothes."</p>
<p>"Oooh," they sounded as they looked over the set. Then, the archer clapped her hand on the bard's shoulder and said, "Nene, you take it."</p>
<p>"Well… it does sound useful… alright, I'll pay the balance," she finally agreed after some thought.</p>
<p>She did so and took the set. The enchanter also passed a piece of paper he said had the command word for the glamour. They went back to the guild house; she went to her room to change and the rest waited in the side room. A few minutes later, she came back to meet up with them. At first, she was wearing her new set instead of her everyday clothes. But as she stood in front of them, she whispered something to herself and the armor transformed into her everyday clothes, starting from the top and moving down to the bottom.</p>
<p>"Woah, so cool!" exclaimed Polka.</p>
<p>"Hmm, we should go to the blacksmith's to sell off the old armor then," suggested Botan.</p>
<p>That also sounded like a good idea. They made their way to the nearest one and checked out the shop. They were a little surprised to meet Camryn there.</p>
<p>"Oh, hello. I thought you'd be at the enchanter's shop," said the bard.</p>
<p>"Ah, he had a new enchantment he wanted to teach me, so I'm buying a few swords here," the apprentice explained.</p>
<p>"Oh, good luck with that," she stated with a smile.</p>
<p>"Hey, Camryn, are you free tonight? Do you know where Robel's is? Perform with me outside Robel's tonight," invited Polka.</p>
<p>"Er… sure, I guess?" he replied hesitantly, "If my teacher is done, I'll try and make my way there."</p>
<p>"Ha! Awesome!" cheered on the monk as she did a little jig.</p>
<p>He had a slight smile as he shook his head. He left the shop with a few shortswords in hand. Meanwhile, Nene sold off her worn studded leather armor. Botan wanted to get a new set of armor but… even with trading in her current armor, she couldn't afford it. Plus, she was also glancing reluctantly at Lamy, remembering what happened last time.</p>
<p>"Hng, I think we need to go on another request run," she groaned as she looked over a well-made set of half-plate.</p>
<p>"Sure we could. The festival ends tonight, so we should be able to go tomorrow," said Aloe, cheering up the lion girl. It definitely did, considering the bright happy smile on her face.</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. The tournament ends today. For Polka vs Fein'Gaz, he won by knockout. In a metagame sense, he has a level advantage, so that was a given. But then again, if he didn't rage, it may have been a closer match here. As for the final match, Korone vs Reyo. No way Reyo was going to win. It was a close fight, to be honest. He had extra magic on his side and Korone had her tactics. Her skills won out in the end and she used her Astral Self as a finisher. As for its name, Hound Dog was a song by Elvis Presley. And in one of her English-only Super Mario streams, she said, "I'm Elvis Presley." before falling in a fire pit/bottomless pit. I swear, she says the funniest things during her English-only streams.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>After the tournament is over, we have a free day on the last day of the festival. Thus, Nene gets Glamoured Studded Leather. Not to mention, the party makes plans to earn more money to get some better armor for Botan.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>And thus ends the festival arc. Next chapter will be standalone, I think, before moving on into the next one. </strong>
  <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Chapter 27</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 27</p>
<p>The next day, the party and several others gathered in the side room. In the front stood Lord Aruran and Miyabi. He announced what Nene and Aloe had been told the day before, cueing excited whispers among them.</p>
<p>"Alright, please settle down for the moment," he said as he gestured with his hands, "Right, the enchantment tickets will be handed out by Miyabi so please be patient."</p>
<p>As the guild clerk stepped forward to hand out the tickets, the nobleman made his way to the party and said, "Well, I am afraid your party does not have a ticket as we do not have enough for every party. However, I do have a little present for Polka for doing quite well in the tournament. Fourth place is no small feat. If you would follow me, please."</p>
<p>He led them out of the side room and produced an oddly-shaped purple needle from his pocket and passed it to the monk. "Here, press this between your palms during meditation and you will receive your reward."</p>
<p>"Hah? Wait, meditation? Aww, you know I can barely sit still, teacher," groaned the fennec fox girl.</p>
<p>Lamy let out a giggle before saying, "I can help you with that. I know about certain scents that help calm a person down for such a thing."</p>
<p>"Hng… I guess that's fine..." she grumbled but still looking a little relieved and thankful for the help.</p>
<p>"Oh, you won't have to meditate too long," assured the guild master as he waved the concerns away with a smile, "An hour or so should be enough for it to be attuned to you."</p>
<p>"Alright, we'll go and pick out a request while you meditate, Polka," said Nene.</p>
<p>They waved each other off as they went to do their own thing. After looking through the pieces of paper pinned to the board, they were interrupted by Risu.</p>
<p>"Botan, Nene, Aloe… where's two more?" the squirrel girl asked anxiously.</p>
<p>"They are busy right now," informed Nene, noticing her fidgeting, "Is something wrong?"</p>
<p>"Umm, remember the cockatrice cave you visited the other time?" she asked.</p>
<p>"Urgh, I do," said Aloe with a frown, "Turning to stone was not the best thing to happen."</p>
<p>"Well… a few trolls have moved in four days ago," she explained worriedly, "The elders are worried about the balance of nature in the area since trolls eat a lot. So they asked me to get some help."</p>
<p>"Sure we can help," started the bard, "Who else is going?"</p>
<p>"Moona and Artia."</p>
<p>"Well, alright then, we have more than enough people to take them down," she continued, "We'll wait for Polka and Lamy first. Then, we can go."</p>
<hr/>
<p>When Polka showed up again, her forearms and hands looked very different, as if a tattoo artist inked her skin. Black, claw-like, lightning shapes stretched across her forearm all the way to her fingertips.</p>
<p>"Wow, this looks really cool," exclaimed Aloe in awe.</p>
<p>"Right? Right?" said the grinning fennec fox girl.</p>
<p>"It was a little creepy to watch, though," stated Lamy calmly, looking no worse for wear, "To see it moving like it was alive. Too creepy."</p>
<p>"Yeah, it's cool, but we have been asked to help Risu's circle," stated Nene, drawing their attention back, "Trolls moved into the monster chicken cave and we need to remove them."</p>
<p>"Yeah! Moona and Artia will be joining us, so we should be able to send them away easy," quipped up the squirrel girl.</p>
<p>"Ah, let's go then. I can test out my new skills," said Polka as she slammed her fists together eagerly.</p>
<p>With that, the party and Risu left the guild house and headed to the south gate. There, Moona and Artia were already waiting for them. After some preparations, the larger party then departed, heading straight into the forest. Risu led them through since she already knew the area quite well. They didn't bump into any trouble. They were even surprised when Risu suddenly sped on ahead and greeted a tree. To their shock, it turned around and moved its branches to wave at her. It had a smiling face in the grooves of its bark as it went back to being motionless.</p>
<p>"What in the world was that?" asked Aloe nervously, looking around at all the other trees questioningly.</p>
<p>"Oh, those are Elder Mila's friends," the dream druid explained with a grin, "They are her eyes and ears, and help to keep guard of the forest."</p>
<p>"Interesting," muttered the ice genasi.</p>
<p>"I know, right?" she exclaimed excitedly, "I want to have my own happy trees too."</p>
<p>"Huh, happy tree friends?" muttered Botan, "I guess it wouldn't be strange to you."</p>
<p>"Nope!"</p>
<p>They continued on their way and soon reached the familiar, grassless area. And they could hear a mix of Common and a strange, harsh language. The party then slowed down as they got nearer. In the clearing in front of the cave, the squirrel girl gasped. A group of eight orcs were standing in front of the cave, talking to three trolls. They were thin and gangly looking with very long arms and legs. But, that wasn't what prompted the gasp. One of the trolls was busy eating something, something red or blue with butterfly-looking wings. Risu then started muttering incoherently and fell to the ground.</p>
<p>"Risu, are you alright?" asked Lamy as she knelt down to the shivering druid.</p>
<p>"They... they… eating faeries..." she muttered as she sent a teary-eyed glance to the cleric, "The small dragons… they… no..."</p>
<p>"The trolls have been eating faerie dragons," stated Moona with a grim tone, piecing together what the distraught girl said.</p>
<p>"That… doesn't sound good," muttered Polka as she peeked out from their hiding spot.</p>
<p>"From what I can understand… they can cast spells… and trolls can adapt to their environments and to their food..." mused Artia worriedly, "I just hope they don't have any surprises for us."</p>
<p>Then, the trolls started sniffing the air. A few seconds later, their eyes looked straight at the larger party.</p>
<p>"...Did they just smell us out?" asked Nene in disbelief as the trolls roared and pointed in their direction. The orcs were also forewarned and looked in their direction as well.</p>
<p>"That's it! Let's get ready to evict all of them," stated Aloe as she held a dagger up and aimed at the advancing orcs.</p>
<p>"Er… where did the trolls go?" asked Botan in shock. True enough, the trolls seemed to have disappeared.</p>
<p>"Risu! Snap out of it!" shouted Moona as she shook her friend.</p>
<p>"Tch, help her quickly. We shall protect you as best we can," declared Lamy as the rest got ready to fight.</p>
<p>As the orcs charged at them, Botan loosed an arrow which slammed into the chest of the center orc. It burst to splinters, showering its neighbours. Nene's dagger found purchase as well, finding the same orc's throat. The orcs weren't deterred and quickly got into melee range, targeting the nearest people. Polka had no problem dodging all their attacks while Aloe and the bard got wailed on.</p>
<p>As they fought back, the aasimar's hurried coaxing got the druid out of her despair. Risu's hushed chanting brought condensed moonbeam to rise over the orcs. Then, she wreathed her hand in a green glow and waved it at the lore bard's direction, that same glow lighting her up for only a second. Meanwhile, Lamy and Artia had finished their own casting. A wave of frost and a deluge of snowballs dropped on the orcs, whose numbers were quickly diminishing due to their efforts. However, it was then the trolls reappeared again and attacked the front liners.</p>
<p>Nene, Polka, and Aloe took the brunt of their bites on their shoulders and claws slashes on their arms, surprised by their sudden appearance in place of the fallen orcs.</p>
<p>"Going up!" shouted the succubus and she shot up, biting back a scream as the troll attacking her raked her back with its claws. She then started throwing her daggers with careful aim as she hovered in the air with her wings.</p>
<p>With worry in her eyes, the dream druid moved the moonbeam over the trolls while doing her best to help with healing. However, the moment the wizard changed up her spells from ice to fire, the trolls started bellowing and charged in after her, throwing all caution to the wind.</p>
<p>"Under pressure..." Nene sang out, the strains of her song being disregarded by the trolls as they were hyper-focussed on the wizard.</p>
<p>The first one that reached her failed to touch a hair on her head. The other two tried to slash Nene out of the way but she refused to budge in spite of her injuries. It was then that Risu produced a small ball of flame and tossed it at the troll in front of Artia, who unleashed another torrent of flame at the same time. The trolls roared, having another threat to attack. The combined efforts of Botan and Polka took down one burning troll while Moona suddenly pulled out her flute and started playing. The troll that wasn't on fire suddenly froze in place. It didn't last long as it broke out of the song's hold as Artia screamed when the other burnt troll bit down on her shoulder. Before it could start clawing her apart, she disappeared from its mouth in a burst of mist and reappeared further away.</p>
<p>"We have to hold them back!" shouted Polka as she got in the way of the burnt troll and landed a flurry of blows in its stomach.</p>
<p>"We're doing our best!" replied Nene loudly. She then shouted at the non-burnt troll, "Hey, we are going to win and evict you!" The troll suddenly just started rolling on the floor and laughing.</p>
<p>Then, several arrows, both copy and real, pierced through the burnt troll's throat. It fell over and the archer roared loudly, bringing everyone's spirit's up. However, it suddenly got up again and tried biting the monk. She dodged that but she got caught by its follow-up claw attacks and got tossed aside a few feet. The others called out to her in horror as it started making its way towards Risu. All was not lost as one of Aloe's daggers punched through the back of its neck, causing it to collapse forward. This made it easy for the dream duid to produce another flame and set it on fire. That left one troll. And since it was the last one, it got bombarded by their attacks. Punches, Kicks. Stabbings. Paralysis. Arrows. Thrown daggers. Flames. Acid arrows. Spiritual weapon attacks. And finally, a ray of frost freezing its head as acid splashed over it.</p>
<p>They let out a collective sigh of relief.</p>
<p>"Well, I think we settled that," stated Botan, "So… let's burn the bodies? We better not leave them like that."</p>
<p>"We probably should," agreed Nene.</p>
<p>"Are you alright?" Moona asked as she gave Risu a side hug from her shoulders.</p>
<p>"It's just… all those faerie dragons… it's so sad," the dream druid said in a forlorn tone.</p>
<p>"Those trolls were odd," stated Artia as she passed a healing potion to the lore bard, "The moment I started using fire, they threw everything out of the window just to kill me and Risu… then again, they are said to really hate fire so, I guess it makes sense."</p>
<p>"Ah, maybe we should have you use fire early on and distract them while we kill them," quipped Polka.</p>
<p>"Denied," refused the genasi.</p>
<p>Eventually, the lion girl got them to gather the bodies in the center of the clearing and the squirrel girl dropped a flame on them, setting them alight. Then, she led the group out of the forest. On the way out, they encountered a wing of faerie dragons. The wing seemed to gather around the dream druid, as if sensing her sadness. She started giggling as the tiny dragons started flitting around her and playing with her ears and hair.</p>
<p>"Thank you, everyone," she said, now very cheered up. This also lifted the group's spirits as well as giving them some form of relief.</p>
<p>Tiny tinkles and cheers were replied as the wing flew off into the forest. The cheered up party then went on their way back to the city. At the edge of the forest, Risu suddenly said she was going back to the circle.</p>
<p>"I need to inform the elders about this. Thanks for helping us," she said with a smile.</p>
<p>"We are your friends. Never hesitate to ask for help," stated Moona as she hugged the squirrel girl.</p>
<p>She waved goodbye before running back into the forest. The party made their way back to the city and the guild house. After Artia said her goodbyes and returned to her dorm, the rest went in.</p>
<p>"Hello, welcome back," greeted Miyabi at the counter.</p>
<p>"Hello… Miyabi, are there any high paying requests that we can take?" asked Botan.</p>
<p>"...let me check," he stated after a thought. Looking through a stack of papers, he pulled one out and said, "Well, here is one. Remember the sewer cleaners guild? They found the location of a sewer shambler and they want someone to destroy it."</p>
<p>"...We have to go in the sewers...urgh," groaned Polka.</p>
<p>"Well, if I'm not mistaken, the shambler has been living in the sewers for a long time," the guild clerk informed them, "I think this is the first time the sewer cleaners are trying to remove it. I guess they will explain it to you when you meet them tomorrow morning. I suspect that it might be involved in a few deaths but I'm not too sure about that myself."</p>
<p>"Ah… I guess that is something the guild should help with," mused Nene thoughtfully.</p>
<p>"Hng, I wouldn't want to go in the sewers again but I guess this is the right thing to do?" Botan muttered, still looking a little unsure.</p>
<p>"Why does everyone want to stay away from this 'sewer' place?" asked Aloe.</p>
<p>"...you do not have sewers where you are from?" questioned Lamy in surprise.</p>
<p>"No?" the succubus replied as she shook her head.</p>
<p>"Ah-ha… you'll find out tomorrow," the monk informed, "I guess we can induct you into the sewer team then."</p>
<p>"Huh?"</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Urgh, ew, why? Why!?" wailed Aloe.</p>
<p>That morning, the party descended into the sewers. Apparently, it was less of an extermination request but more of a relocation request. The sewer cleaners guild wanted to move the shambler to a different part of the sewers that was already marked out. As simply baiting it around the sewer was rarely an easy task, they wanted the adventurer's guild to assist them in the endeavor.</p>
<p>"Now you know one reason why I dislike the sewers," muttered Polka, agreeing with the</p>
<p>"I dislike it too, but it is for a good reason," quipped Botan.</p>
<p>"Indeed, the safety of the sewer cleaners are guaranteed this way," added Lamy.</p>
<p>"Plus, it shouldn't be that troubling. The shambler is a slow thing so as long as we just stay out of reach, we're safe," assured Nene.</p>
<p>All well and good, but the part that worried the party was that they had to find the shambler first. That meant combing the entire sector of the sewers they were in just to find a large walking plant. At least the smell wasn't as bad there. Not to mention, they didn't see a single giant cockroach or a rat of any size. So, they moved slowly and carefully, keeping their eyes and ears open for anything odd or out of place.</p>
<p>It was a few hours in when they got a whiff of something that overpowered the muted smell of the sewer sector. Around the corner, they spotted the shambling mound sitting in the sewer water. The large, plant-like thing was covered in rotting vegetation, knotty vines, and dead flowers. The damp sludge that enveloped it was the source of that horrible stench. As they watched, the mound slowly rose up on two stumpy legs and walked towards them.</p>
<p>The lore bard then turned to the party and said, "Alright, time we lure it to its new home."</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. Time to stray away from long arcs for awhile. First up, rewards time. I decided to give Polka a certain tattoo from Tasha's Cauldron that would be pretty good in her hands. Then, Risu comes to ask for help with evicting a few trolls. Now, sorry that we are putting the squirrel girl through a tough time... but this is for the encounter's sake as the trolls being able to go invisible after eating faerie dragons is a very... deadly adaptation in the right hands. Based on what they might be eating and where they are staying, troll adaptations have a large potential of throwing any adventuring party into disarray. But, I did apologize to Risu by sending some other faerie dragons to comfort her and lift their spirits in general. The next day, Holo5 will be delving into the sewers. Again. We introduce Aloe to the sewers. Let that sink in.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, we see their efforts in shambling mound relocation. </strong>
  <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Chapter 28</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 28</p>
<p>Luring the shambler to another part of the sewer took a long time. True to its name, it moved slowly, trudging after the party. They moved in formation that they had planned beforehand; Botan and Nene moved further in front to make sure the way was clear. Lamy and Polka were in the middle where they could easily give some backup. Aloe was last, hovering over the middle of the tunnel where the stream of sewage water flowed, keeping the shambler on the move and hovering barely out of its reach to keep its attention.</p>
<p>"Nothing so far?" asked the lion girl as she looked around the junction.</p>
<p>"Yeah. Nothing here," replied the bard.</p>
<p>Nodding, the former turned around and called out, "Bring it in, Aloe!"</p>
<p>"Alright!" the succubus shouted back.</p>
<p>Things were slow-going but still without any interruptions. Then, they turned into a long stretch of tunnel with several tunnels on the side branching off. So, they continued down the paths… until a drip of yellow liquid splashed on the archer's armor. Glancing up, she noticed a shimmering yellow patch on the ceiling of the tunnel. The yellow patch suddenly shivered and a pseudopod reached out to swing at her.</p>
<p>She stumbled back as she shouted in surprise, "Yellow slime!"</p>
<p>"Uhm, there's more here," the latter replied as she took a few hurried steps back as another ochre jelly dropped down from the ceiling while a second one took its place. The same thing happened in Botan's lane; one ooze on the floor and one creeping on the ceiling.</p>
<p>"What's going on!?" called out Polka as she and Lamy ran up to them, "What in the world is that?"</p>
<p>"Ochre jelly," explained the bard, "I don't remember much from the time we read up on the monster chickens, but looks like what they say is true. Can walk on ceilings and can form limbs to attack. I wouldn't be surprised if it can squeeze through cracks and under doors."</p>
<p>"Will anything happen if you punch it?" asked the fennec fox girl as she stepped past her.</p>
<p>"I… don't remember?"</p>
<p>"Well, it doesn't hurt to try!" she yelled as she moved in. Meanwhile, Lamy moved to the front of Botan as the lion girl pulled back and shot at the jelly. The cleric then manifested her spirit weapon and shot a ray of frost at the same jelly. The ooze was unable to resist the constant battery and froze over internally before it shattered into pieces.</p>
<p>"Under pressure, walls closing down on me, surrounding my life, looking down on me."</p>
<p>Nene's melodious strains filtered through the air as she stowed her lute on her back. Polka's punches sent shockwaves through the ooze she pummeled before retreating away from a pseudopod that reached out for her. The jellies slid after them but failed to hit any of them with their extended pseudopods.</p>
<p>"Incoming!" shouted Aloe as she flew up to them, "Watch out for the shambler."</p>
<p>True enough, the shambling mound trudged up to the nearest party member and slammed its viney tendrils on her. Botan yelped as she dodged to the side, only to get clipped in the shoulder.</p>
<p>"Tch… Aloe, help them! I'll handle this," ordered the archer as she started waving her hands at it as she moved away from the party, "Oi, stinky! This way!" Its body groaned and squelched as it turned around and tried its best to grab a hold of the lion girl.</p>
<p>"You heard her! We can do this!" shouted the cleric as she sent another ray out at the other ooze sliding towards her on the ceiling. Her spirit mace did the same as it tried to break the ooze apart. It tried slamming her with a pseudopod but she blocked it with her shield.</p>
<p>"Alright!" replied the succubus loudly as she flew up and tried scratching the ooze with her claws, only to fail when the oily ooze flowed around her claws like water, "Urgh, not sure about this!"</p>
<p>"Switch!" called out the bard after stabbing the same ooze, neatly swapping places with the monk, who yelled out a cheer as her punches burst the ooze. She then turned her attention to the ooze on the ceiling, attacking it as well. It then somehow lost its grip on the ceiling and flopped on the sewer floor.</p>
<p>"Argh!" yelled Botan as she got slapped in the stomach by another tendril, "Hurry up! The smell is getting too much."</p>
<p>"We know!" Lamy shouted back as she double-teamed the ooze with her spirit mace. Aloe tried helping her but the same thing happened with this ooze and she barely made a scratch on it.</p>
<p>"Hey, this way, stinky plant!" shouted Nene at the shambler, trying to gain its attention. Meanwhile, Polka finished off her ooze and moved on to help the cleric with the last one. She didn't need help as she successfully popped it all on her lonesome.</p>
<p>"Blergh," vomited the archer as she got slapped around again. Wiping her mouth, she ran and dodged around the reaching vines as she ran towards the party, "Let's go!"</p>
<p>"Look here, you smelly vine! I bet you can't catch me!" shouted the bard as she mocked the shambler before joining the others in running away.</p>
<p>It then slowly plodded after them, its viney tendrils reaching out to grab them. Soon, their smelly chase slowed down and they were back to luring it around.</p>
<p>"Ah, looks like I'm back to lure duty again," muttered Aloe as she hovered in place to wait for it. She then got a surprise when it slammed a tendril on the ground, grabbing a giant cockroach and pushing it in its center of mass. The vines on the body reached out, pulled it in, and engulfed it.</p>
<p>This shocked her greatly and she almost didn't notice the shambler reaching out to her. Realizing this, she quickly hovered out of the vine grabbed empty air.</p>
<p>"Careful, Aloe," cautioned Nene, the rest of the party witnessing it.</p>
<p>"I know. No need to worry," the succubus replied as she glanced back and smirked, "I got this."</p>
<p>Assured by her words, the bard and the archer went on to lead the way to the intended sector. It took another hour of navigating the sewers but eventually, they saw the red marker that the cleaners guild master told them about.</p>
<p>"We're almost there," announced Botan.</p>
<p>"Thank you! I want a bath!" exclaimed Polka before she yelped due to almost slipping on a patch of water.</p>
<p>"Careful," chided Nene as she pulled the fennec fox girl away from the edge of the bank.</p>
<p>"Are you the ones helping?"</p>
<p>Heads turned to a large branching tunnel. A guy wearing brown-colored clothes with the sewer cleaners guild hat holding a staff.</p>
<p>"Yes?" quipped Lamy hesitantly.</p>
<p>"Come, come, lead it this way," he said as he motioned them to follow him.</p>
<p>They hurried after him after making sure the shambler was still following them. He led them to a large room where the sewer water fell down into. There was an iron ladder leading to the lower level where the bank circled around and led off to two other openings. The level they were on had also extended to the side where the other branch had a similar sewage waterfall.</p>
<p>"Please lead it off the rails into the pool," instructed the cleaner, "Then, keep to the side silently, please."</p>
<p>"Alright, Aloe. You heard him?" stated the bard as she looked over. The succubus gave a thumbs up and continued luring the shambler.</p>
<p>Bit by bit, she kept just out of range as she hovered backward. Soon, she flew over the railing and kept in sight. Little by little, she went a little higher. The shambler reached out and tipped over into the sewage pool. The party then ran over to the side and looked down just as the succubus landed.</p>
<p>"Is it already leaving it down there?" asked the lore bard in wonder.</p>
<p>"It'll be fine," the cleaner informed them, "It knows how to swim so it will get out in no time. Anyway, thank you for the help, ladies. Come, I'll lead you to the exit."</p>
<p>"Thank the gods! I want a bath!" exclaimed the monk.</p>
<hr/>
<p>After getting out of the sewers, they headed to the cleaners guild house first to get paid. Botan was a bit happier that with the reward she could get a better set of armor.</p>
<p>"Eh? Is that all you are going to get?" asked Lamy in surprise.</p>
<p>"Yes. I wanted something lighter while still protecting my important bits," stated the lion girl as the blacksmith helped to fit the spaulder over her left shoulder. The skirted breastplate fit well and the greaves were snug. A pair of vambraces were also part of the set. After everything was fitted together, she turned around and examined herself.</p>
<p>Finding everything well and good, she turned to the blacksmith and asked, "Can you engrave something on the shoulder part? I want a lion."</p>
<p>"Sure. That won't be a problem," he said as he motioned her to follow, "Let's get this done."</p>
<p>An hour later, the engraving was done and the party went back to the guild house to report what had happened.</p>
<p>"Well done, everyone," congratulated Miyabi, "Oh, and that armor looks good."</p>
<p>"Hi, hi, thanks," preened the lion girl.</p>
<p>"Right, that's all for the day. If you have any queries, do not hesitate to ask," he informed them with a smile before moving on to another stack of papers.</p>
<p>"Let's go wash up and get ready for dinner, yeah?" asked the bard with a grin.</p>
<p>That night, Robel's was full, with all the guild members present, including Lord Aruran and Miyabi. The general atmosphere was happy and celebratory. How else can it be, with all the teams and parties receiving that generous gift from earlier in the day? The majority of the music was brought to the fore by RIZnote, the bard duo of Rikka and Izuru, with several others being invited up to sing with them, including Nene. She was bashful but went up anyway to sing. Of course, there was a little trolling by Kira and his bagpipes, which prompted several little chases around the interior between him and the duo. It was quite comical in itself, and it prompted very loud laughter by the audience as it pretty much involved a lot of tumbling and acrobatics from Kira.</p>
<p>"Hi, hi, I can't believe he actually did that," giggled Polka.</p>
<p>"I admit, it was funny. But it was still rude," stated Lamy, her face very red from drinking.</p>
<p>"Rude or not, still funny," said Aloe with a grin.</p>
<p>"Ha… I think that's enough for tonight. I want my bed," stated Botan as she stretched, her arms reaching for the air.</p>
<p>"Yeah, I'm feeling sleepy too," agreed Nene, "It was nice though. I wonder if we have these kinds of things every moon..."</p>
<hr/>
<p>The next day, they were once again in front of the bulletin board. After looking at it for a while, Lamy pulled a request from the board.</p>
<p>"Doesn't this name look familiar?" she asked as she passed it to Nene.</p>
<p>"Prasadiv? Isn't that the information broker?" the bard muttered in surprise. After scanning the request, she muttered, "What is this? Harvest mission for… large beasts?"</p>
<p>"Oh… do we get a trophy?" asked the lion girl, becoming very interested.</p>
<p>"I think we should talk with him first," said the fennec fox girl, nudging her friend in the side.</p>
<p>"Indeed. A wise choice," nodded the half-snow elf with approval.</p>
<p>"So…do we take this?" asked Nene. Getting nods from everyone, she continued, "Okay, I'll give this to Miyabi and we'll wait for Aloe before we meet him."</p>
<p>"Huh…I think Lord Aruran warned me about him," stated the guild clerk as he noted them down for the request, "Make sure you don't sign any contracts with him or bind you with any favors. Just meet him, do the request, and come back. Understood?"</p>
<p>"Understood," the bard replied with a nod.</p>
<p>After Aloe met up with them, the party immediately headed to the Broken Stool. They found the rakshasa seated at his normal table, off to the side, and away from the bar.</p>
<p>"Ahhh, Prasadiv remembers you! You took this up I see," stated the tiger-looking humanoid with a joyful tone, "Very interesting. Prasadiv is eager to see how well you perform."</p>
<p>"Perform? But I thought we were hunting large creatures," questioned Nene in surprise.</p>
<p>"You are. But, not here," he replied mysteriously, "But first, please, follow me."</p>
<p>The party looked at each other, shrugged, and followed him. He headed to the store in the kitchen and much to their surprise, pulled a trapdoor and headed down. The flight of steps led them to a singular room which was lit up with the snap of his fingers. A magic circle was engraved into the floor, one which he stepped inside and motioned them to continue following.</p>
<p>"Where are you taking us?" asked the bard, feeling all this is looking quite suspicious.</p>
<p>"Ah, this is something that Prasadiv shows to all members of the adventurer's guild as a sign of trust," the rakshasa explained, "Mostly a deal with the lord. He can be… let's say... persuasive. Plus, Prasadiv wishes to vet you while you help Prasadiv. Now, if you would be so kind as to step into the circle and follow Prasadiv to his secret place."</p>
<p>"Oh, sure… that doesn't sound creepy at all," snarked Aloe.</p>
<p>But, in spite of that, they stepped in the circle anyway. A flash of light filled the room, blinding them. As it died down, they found themselves standing in a small arena. Strange enough, the rakshasa was missing.</p>
<p>"Now, what you are here for is to help kill some useful monsters," stated the tiger humanoid. Everyone looked to the arena stands in surprise.</p>
<p>"Unfortunately, the normal help I have cannot handle such a thing. This is where you come in," he continued to explain, "You-"</p>
<p>"Wait! How did we get here?" cried out Polka, interrupting him.</p>
<p>He sighed and said, "Normally, Prasadiv would bring all of you without using those annoying circles, but in the interest of the deal made with Aruran, Prasadiv has to show something tangible to his guild at least once. You and your friends are not the first and not the last. Now, may Prasadiv continue, or do you have more interruptions?"</p>
<p>The fennec fox girl quickly shook her head.</p>
<p>"Now, you will help to put down these creatures for Prasadiv's hired help to harvest things from them," he finally continued, "Just make sure not to damage the body too much."</p>
<p>"How are these monsters being brought here?" asked Botan.</p>
<p>"Hmm, if Prasadiv is correct, a dimension hopper is helping Prasadiv to secure areas to pull these monsters from," he replied, "Prasadiv is not too sure about the magic involved, but it is a most useful deal Prasadiv has made. Very useful."</p>
<p>"Ah, so what will be fighting first?" asked the lion girl, now looking forward to the challenge.</p>
<p>"Ah… very eager. That is good. Good. Good," the rakshasa said with a grin. He then turned to the side and called out, "Bring it to me."</p>
<p>A spectral hand then appeared from the side and brought him a clipboard. Taking it, he looked at it for a moment and said, "Interesting additions today. First up is displacer beasts."</p>
<p>"What are those?" asked Lamy in confusion.</p>
<p>"Ah, they are magical monsters," he stated, "Think of a large black cat with six legs and two spiked tentacles." Glancing at the clipboard, he muttered, "And we have three of them today. Hmm, very nice. We can make a good cloak from these."</p>
<p>Focussing back on the party, he stated, "Alright, best be ready. I shall bring them out now."</p>
<p>"Ready as we'll ever be," said the bard as everyone got into position. She, Polka, and Nene moved in front of Botan and Lamy.</p>
<p>Nodding, he then called out, "All is ready. Bring them in and release them."</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. Relocation success. And Botan got a new set of armor. Nice. Right, the next day, we follow Holo5 to meet Prasadiv, the local information broker and trader of exotic(magical) goods. As for the day's request, helping him harvest materials. Since this is meant to be a short one, we will be dropping them in the arena Subaru's party was in during Wanderlust. First up, displacer beasts.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, the fight and much more. </strong>
  <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Chapter 29</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 29</p>
<p>A strange buzzing sound came from one of the grilled openings. A second later, the same opening had its grill lifted and three sleek, large black cats walked out. True to the rakshasa's description, the cats had an extra pair of legs and two long tentacles sprouting from their shoulders. The tentacles themselves had spikes protruding out at the end of each. The displacer beasts maintained their growling as they spread out to surround and corner them. Then, all three started shimmering and after the party blinked their eyes, the beasts' forms looked a little out of place. It was as if their bodies were shifting in and out of reality, like they were there and not there at the same time.</p>
<p>"Am I seeing things or do they look a bit off?" muttered Botan as she kept her aim steady in anticipation.</p>
<p>"Yeah, I see it too… and I have no idea what is going on," replied Nene as she readied her lute.</p>
<p>A spectral sword appeared and stabbed one of the beasts in its flank.</p>
<p>"The icy floes and frosty chills come, best keep moving or fall to slumber."</p>
<p>Lamy's frost ray went through one of the tentacles, as if it was not there. The party was surprised by this and in their shock, the beasts went on the attack. They jumped in, flailed their tentacles on them, and backed out. The archer tried shooting one but half her shots simply passed through its body as it moved around. The bard sang, her magic filling the air and the beasts growled as it settled on them. Only one seemed to be distracted by her tunes.</p>
<p>"If we stay here, they can hem us in," said Aloe as she narrowed her eyes, "Hey Polka, let's take the fight to them."</p>
<p>"Eh? Who are you and what did you do to our friend?" the fennec fox asked in surprise, taking a drink as she chased after the succubus, who ran forward and slashed a tentacle that was aimed at her.</p>
<p>"I have an urge to do something bad today," she said as she smirked while the monk pummeled the beast's head. At the same time, the spirit sword continued stabbing the displacer beast in the side while the cleric prayed for her goddess to guide their attacks.</p>
<p>"Tch, stupid tentacles!" shouted the monk as she got struck from behind. She did her best to evade and dance around the attacks as the other two beasts continued their hit and run tactics. The one they were attacking took this chance to retreat while it waved its tentacles around to cover itself.</p>
<p>"Chance!" declared Botan before shooting a burst arrow at the retreating displacer. The arrow burst and a loud boom splashed over it and its brethren, getting showered with wooden splinters.</p>
<p>Nene's dagger flew through the air and thudded into the ground as it passed through the displacer beast's paw. Meanwhile, the monk and succubus duo went in and cornered the two monsters and wailed on them. One got its skull caved in repeated blows to the head while the other flinched as one of its tentacles and its flank bled from claw and spirit sword.</p>
<p>"Argh!" the lion girl yelled as the singular uncornered displacer beast slammed a tentacle into her side.</p>
<p>"Keep shooting, Botan. I'll keep trying to confuse it," urged on Nene as she continued playing her tune.</p>
<p>"Got it," stated the archer as her next shots flew true, striking the cornered one in the shoulder. Unfortunately, it didn't mess with the tentacles, but it was enough to bleed it.</p>
<p>However, it powered through the pain and slammed Polka to the ground, its spiked tentacles crashing into her chest. She almost blacked out but Nene's healing note coursed through her body and sealed the perforations on her body.</p>
<p>"Finish it, Polka!" shouted Aloe as she raked her claw over its snarling face. Yelling in response, the fennec fox monk jumped up and slammed her heel on the top of its head, driving it down into the ground.</p>
<p>"Yosh," she yelled in victory. Then, she turned around and ran towards the last displacer, jumping up into a flying kick. The ball of her foot kicked away a tentacle aimed at the lore bard, who had moved in to stab it in the shoulder.</p>
<p>"Your ice doesn't seem to be doing much, Miss Healer."</p>
<p>Lamy frowned at the passing comment from the rakshasa as her ray of frost missed yet again.</p>
<p>"Don't let him get to you. You're helping us a lot with the ghost sword of yours," assured the lion girl as she landed a few more shots in the final displacer's flank.</p>
<p>"...I appreciate that," muttered the half-snow elf as she watched Aloe take to the air and pick up Polka.</p>
<p>Both of them then landed next to the beast, with the succubus releasing right above it. They then proceeded to target its head, raining fist and claw. Then, angling her summoned sword carefully, she then sent it flying at the beast. It buried itself into the beast's side, all the way to the hilt. As it fell over, the sword dissipated into motes of light, its duty done.</p>
<p>"A most wonderful performance!" cheered Prasadiv as he clapped, "Most wonderful. Well done, members of the adventurer's guild."</p>
<p>At the sudden snap of his fingers, another grill opened. Several people of varying races came out and proceeded to pick up the bodies of the displacer beasts and haul them away. After the last body was taken inside, a few more people came out. Two women, one with a leather bag and another with a bundle of arrows. The one with the bag produced glass vials filled with red liquid and passed them around. The other passed the bundle of arrows to Botan</p>
<p>"Please, drink up! This will help you get ready for the next set," stated the rakshasa as he motioned them to consume it.</p>
<p>Glancing at each other, they all uncorked the vial and downed it simultaneously.</p>
<p>"Wow!" exclaimed Aloe as she looked at the glass vial with wide eyes.</p>
<p>"It feels like I have just woken up from my sleep," muttered Lamy as the woman wordlessly took the empty vials back, "My mind still feels a little fatigued, though."</p>
<p>"What in the world did we drink?" Nene asked the rakshasa. The helpers then went back through the opening and the grill fell shut.</p>
<p>"A good quality healing potion, of course," he said matter-of-factly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.</p>
<p>"Well, if we get these after every battle, we can do this in no time," stated Botan eagerly.</p>
<p>"Right, you shall continue!" declared Prasadiv as he looked to the clipboard, "Hmm, a surprise summons. Directly brought to the arena? Interesting..." Snapping his fingers, he called out, "Next!"</p>
<p>Suddenly, two glowing summoning circles appeared on the ground. Soon after, a flash of light blinded everyone present for a moment before clearing up. Before them were two dinosaurs. With very surprised riders on them. The party was awestruck.</p>
<p>"What is the meaning of this?" shouted one of the riders.</p>
<p>"Demons!" snarled the other after catching sight of the rakshasa and then the succubus, "We've been captured by demons. Kill them all!" The both of them then raised their javelins as their dinosaur mounts growled menacingly.</p>
<p>"Wait! Wait! Please, can we talk this out!?" shouted the lore bard as she ran forward with her hands and arms held high.</p>
<p>"We won't believe your lies," hissed the rider, "Demon worshippers like you only tell lies."</p>
<p>The rakshasa only groaned in frustration. "It seems that the magics need to be tweaked a little. Prasadiv only wanted thunder lizard hides, not thunder lizards and their riders," he muttered. Harrumphing, he addressed the riders, "Please, if you wish to return whence you came, Prasadiv can assist. It will take a little time, but it can be done. There is no need for violence."</p>
<p>"Yes, there is no need to fight," agreed Nene, really trying to get the angry riders to relent, "This is clearly a mistake and we can fix this. Please, let us help."</p>
<p>The riders looked to each other and started talking in a hushed tone with a language they couldn't understand. After a moment, the first speaker said sternly, "Very well. Be quick about it."</p>
<hr/>
<p>It didn't take long for the mishap to be remedied. Prasadiv vanished for a moment to address this. Meanwhile, the party tried talking with the riders. They were a husband and wife patrol team that were scouting around the city they lived in. They were not very receptive to talking to Aloe but they didn't mind talking to the others, especially Botan, who talked with them about the wildlife that they sometimes hunted for. Her eyes shone at the thought of taking down large or even bigger sized thunder lizards. The type they were riding was an allosaurus, which in spite of its size could actually pounce on its prey after charging them down.</p>
<p>Soon, the rakshasa reappeared on the stands of the arena and said, "All is done. Please stand in the center and you will be sent back. You have Prasadiv's apologies for this trouble."</p>
<p>"Hmph, at least you can keep your word," stated the man seriously, "We will remember this."</p>
<p>After they were teleported away, the fiend turned to the party and said, "Well, that was unfortunate. However, we still have the last hunt of the day." Taking a look at the clipboard, he smirked and continued, "Two young remorhazes."</p>
<p>"What are those?" asked Polka while Nene went to retrieve her dagger.</p>
<p>"Hmm, think giant centipede with fire in their veins," he replied vaguely.</p>
<p>"Okay..." she muttered as everyone got into position</p>
<p>Nodding, he then called out, "All is ready. Bring them in and release them."</p>
<p>A strange buzzing sound came from one of the grilled openings. A second later, the same opening had its grill lifted and… nothing. Now, the arena was not as large as expected, but sizable enough that a displacer beast could prowl around the edges to make hit and run attacks. However, the only sign that there was anything was a slight tremble from the sandy ground.</p>
<p>"There's something moving in the earth," stated Botan as she knelt and placed a hand to the ground.</p>
<p>"Take care, everyone," said Nene.</p>
<p>Those words were well said, as the two young remorhazes burst out of the ground. A few were quick to react. The bard lashed out with her rapier, cutting off one of its many legs but was shocked when boiling hot blood spurted out and burned her sword hand. The monk and the archer shot their projectiles at it, the dart and arrow piercing its exoskeleton as it reared up. Both monsters lunged towards the bard, biting her in the shoulder and the stomach. The bloody mess was about to be lifted up when…</p>
<p>"Let her go!"</p>
<p>A spectral sword shot out and impaled one of the young monsters in the eye. It let out an unnerving shriek as it thrashed its head about, both releasing its hold on Nene as well as knocking her out of the other's mouth. She fell to the ground, bleeding profusely from her bite marks. Lamy then tried shooting her ray of frost at it but as soon as it hit, it simply melted off. Meanwhile, Aloe took to the air and threw a dagger at the injured monster but it bounced off the exoskeleton instead.</p>
<p>"Hey! Look this way!" shouted Polka as she threw another dart. It was accompanied by two arrows with one of them breaking on its carapace.</p>
<p>The young remorhazes shrieked again and burrowed into the ground. The cleric took this chance to heal the lore bard and close her wounds.</p>
<p>"Thanks, Lamy," she said gratefully as she was helped to her feet.</p>
<p>The monk took a swig of alcohol and muttered, "Alright, we hit when they pop out again."</p>
<p>"You're getting your wish!" yelled the succubus in warning as they burst out again.</p>
<p>As Nene started singing her magic, the fennec fox monk punched the monster's underbelly as it rose up. She then yelped when Botan's arrow opened a wound, which sprayed the boiling blood at her.</p>
<p>"Sorry!" called out the lion archer as she swayed and dodged the monster's maws.</p>
<p>"Keep it up!" shouted Lamy as she directed the spectral sword after the wounded one, "My goddess guides your blades!"</p>
<p>"Tell her thanks for the help!" quipped Aloe as her thrown dagger found purchase in the monster's neck. She had landed to reuse a dagger that bounced off its exoskeleton.</p>
<p>"Lay down and die already!" the bard shouted, directing her mocking at the weakened young remorhaz. It did die, not by her words but from Botan's arrow to its head. It shuddered a bit after its body fell to the side before becoming still.</p>
<p>"One down, one to go," the lion girl stated as the other young monster burrowed into the ground.</p>
<p>"Stop running already!" exclaimed the monk as she moved to the middle of the arena and stamped the ground.</p>
<p>"Will you stop taunting the centipede with the boiling blood?" asked Aloe with a frown.</p>
<p>True enough, the young remorhaz burst out next to her. It snapped at empty air as it got pelted by magic and arrows. The spectral sword was driving into its back while a flash of light was shot at its face. This distracted the monster long enough for one of Aloe's daggers to cut through its upper jaw, causing it to shriek in great pain. It got buried in and it was unable to close its mouth properly.</p>
<p>Seeing it was distracted, Polka threw caution to the wind and downed another swig. She proceeded to pummel its underside. The heat of its blood could be felt all the way through its exoskeleton and the skin of her knuckles got burned quite badly. It shrieked continuously, even after two more arrows got buried in its body. It then turned around and burrowed into the ground. Now the rumbling seemed to go all over the place, as if it was trying to find a way out.</p>
<p>"Eh, what do we do now?" asked Nene as the rumbling continued.</p>
<p>"It's running on instinct. It's afraid," stated Botan as she knelt down and felt the ground.</p>
<p>Suddenly, Polka turned to Prasadiv and asked loudly, "Can we try and tame it? I can have it join my circus."</p>
<p>"What nonsense is that? It is a valuable resource. Surely you can't be serious!?" exclaimed the rakshasa in disbelief.</p>
<p>"I'm gonna do it!" she decided aloud as the young remorhaz burst out of the ground and coiled off into a corner, chittering and hissing angrily.</p>
<p>"Polka, don't do this. It is a dangerous monster and it's injured. There's no way it could work," said the archer, trying to persuade her friend to not do this, "Please, listen to reason."</p>
<p>"Hng… I really want to… but you're right too…" groaned the fennec fox girl, "So we kill it?"</p>
<p>"We were hired to do this and so we shall," stated Lamy before firing another flash of light at its face. She then directed the spirit sword over and beheaded it</p>
<p>"Oof, that's cold," joked Aloe, prompting a few sighs.</p>
<p>The rakshasa then clapped a few times, getting everyone's attention. "Thus, your work has ended. Prasadiv thanks you for your cooperation. Now, while there is a reward promised for this request, it shall be directly contributed to the guild."</p>
<p>"Eh? I thought we would get it," replied Nene with a frown.</p>
<p>He shrugged and said, "It is part of the deal after all. But, if you wish, you can have a free meal. On the house. Remorhaz legs are supposed to be delicious. And, if you wish to continue working for Prasadiv, a magic item may find itself into your hands, hmm?"</p>
<p>After a moment of silence, the lore bard replied, "I… guess? You can always continue sending requests to the guild."</p>
<p>He shrugged again, "Very well. Let us return to the Broken Stool and you can have a taste of the legs. A delicacy such as this is hard to come by. And if you still wish for a reward after that, Prasadiv is willing on parting with some gold."</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello, readers. Welcome to the next chapter. Displacer beasts. Tricky to fight if you can't focus them down. The arena doesn't benefit them either as enclosed spaces means that they have to fight to the death as normally they know when to cut their losses. The same with the third fight. Anyway, the beasts were taken down relatively quickly. Polka came close to biting the dust but was back on her feet thanks to Nene's Healing Word. Nene also helped in talking down some dinosaur riders, which were mistakenly teleported in. But... I still can't believe she was downed in the first round by the young remorhazes. Still, it shows that even though they are young, they are still very dangerous.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, the next arc begins, which means it will not be out until I finished writing it up. I ask for patience, please. At least until I finish it. </strong>
  <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Chapter 30</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 30</p>
<p>After the close calls they had that day, they decided to take the rest of the week off. The next couple of days were spent relaxing, taking their mind off blood and death. Thus, everyone pursued something they wanted to do after some time.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Wow, the books are very detailed," commented Nene as she flipped through one.</p>
<p>"Well, of course," replied Rushia as she sat at the table.</p>
<p>"Where's your pet?" she asked, noticing the dog skeleton now absent.</p>
<p>The teacher sighed and said, "It got involved in an accident with one of the students. To be honest, I should have kept it at home. Less of a chance of getting broken apart." Glancing at the book she picked up, the necromancer continued, "I see you've taken a liking to advanced abjurations."</p>
<p>"Um… well, our requests are getting a little more dangerous. I was thinking of learning something to protect my friends," she explained.</p>
<p>The wizard nodded and suggested, "Makes sense. I recommend looking through countering a spell. Preventing a spell before it actually happens can be crucial sometimes. What else are you interested in reproducing?"</p>
<p>Nodding respectfully, she replied, "Ah, well, there were some spells I saw Artia using… but I can just ask her."</p>
<p>"I see… well as long as she doesn't spend so much time studying," muttered Rushia, "Really, she could use a few more requests or two. Knowing a lot is one thing but she needs to apply practical use as well."</p>
<p>"Ah… I guess?" Nene murmured hesitantly, as if stumbling on something private that she shouldn't know about.</p>
<p>"Anyway, I wish you luck in trying to fit this in your repertoire," continued the wizard, "I never had a bard approaching me, of all people, to ask for advice on spellcasting. Normally, you do what fits you and pick what you wish."</p>
<p>"Ah…yeah?"</p>
<p>"Right, right, I suppose you want to see Artia next," she concluded as she leaned back in her chair, "Go on ahead. I have other things to do."</p>
<p>"Thank you again, Rushia," said the bard gratefully before leaving the room, the necromancer smiling wistfully as the former closed the door behind her.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Check."</p>
<p>Lamy furrowed her brow in concentration as she tried to find a way out. Eventually, she moved her hero piece to block.</p>
<p>"Huh, I never thought you knew how to play dragonchess, Miss Lamy," stated Leda as he took a seat next to Temma, her opponent.</p>
<p>"I only dabbled in it. I never could beat my father though," she admitted.</p>
<p>"Well, it is a game only played by the nobles and intellectuals, after all," stated the knight, "You don't see it played otherwise."</p>
<p>"I never knew you had one stashed away here," she said as she gestured around the side room, "If I knew, I would have asked for a game or two."</p>
<p>The blonde knight chuckled and replied, "One game is straining enough. There is no need for two."</p>
<p>"Especially if its dragonchess," quipped the lightning genasi, "Seriously, this looks very complicated."</p>
<p>"It is," his teammate stated, "Three boards signifying the three probably battlefields with units from each able to traverse between them. Some pieces won't be able to leave its field while others can. And the dragon can attack and capture a piece without even moving with the right conditions." He then moved a dwarf piece.</p>
<p>"I heard some army commanders play this to keep their minds fresh for tactics," she added after moving her hero piece to capture his warrior, "While my sense of tactics is not as great, it helps a little."</p>
<p>"Well, you do you. I'll leave the planning to Temma," said Leda with a grin.</p>
<p>"Ah-ha… right," muttered the knight as he observed the stacked boards in front of him. He then moved his warrior piece.</p>
<p>"Check," he declared.</p>
<p>"Urgh, again," muttered the half-snow elf as she pondered her next move.</p>
<hr/>
<p>A furtive figure crept through the underbrush. The target was a brown rabbit that was nibbling some grass. It crept closer… closer…</p>
<p>A snapping twig startled the target and the rabbit ran off. With a frustrated sigh, Botan stood up and stretched.</p>
<p>"Hng, I'm getting rusty," she muttered to herself. It has been a long while since she had actually hunted for something, let alone doing it alone. Tracking prey down, sneaking to an optimal place, and striking hard and fast to take it down.</p>
<p>The bushes rustled, putting her on edge. She aimed her shortbow and waited patiently. She let go of the breath she had been holding and glared at the squirrel girl's head that popped out of the bush.</p>
<p>"I almost shot you, Risu," she stated with a deadpan stare.</p>
<p>"Sorry," the druid replied with a cheeky grin as she emerged from the bushes, Baloo in tow, "What are you doing?"</p>
<p>"A bit of hunting. It's been a while since I did and I want to see if I lost anything," she admitted.</p>
<p>"Ah… you can help feed Baloo!" the squirrel girl exclaimed.</p>
<p>"...What?" she muttered incredulously.</p>
<p>"Yup! I was bringing Baloo around to search for something to eat," Risu explained as she hugged the young owlbear, "Maybe you can help."</p>
<p>"Well...sure, why not?" Botan agreed after a pause, thinking that some motivation to improve might do her some good.</p>
<p>With that settled, she went to where the rabbit was and knelt down. Quietly observing and touching its tracks, she saw its trail. She grinned and took off, intent on serving rabbit for lunch. Risu and Baloo moved as well, right behind her tail.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Oof, no more...please, I'm tired," begged Polka as she lay on the grassy ground. Her whole body ached and was drenched in sweat. A towel was tossed onto her head.</p>
<p>"That's fine. Get some water then," stated Aruran as he gestured over to the table set up on his lawn. On it was a jug of water and two cups.</p>
<p>She picked herself up and walked over slowly, dragging her feet as she moved. She poured herself a cup and guzzled it thirstily.</p>
<p>"You really should slow down or you will choke," the lord said calmly as he slowly sipped his hot tea.</p>
<p>"...You are really something else, teacher," muttered the fennec fox girl after staring at him dumbfoundedly, "You're still drinking hot tea even though the day is this hot."</p>
<p>He chuckled and stated, "This is just my way of handling day-to-day affairs. Being calm and collected even during stressful times can make things quite bearable." Then, he placed the cup on its saucer and continued as he motioned to her, "You are quite the opposite. You revel in the chaos and find order within it. This is you, and the constant flow and movement of the drunken fist is a good fit for you."</p>
<p>"Scary..." she continued muttering with wide eyes. Then, she asked him as she flopped down on the ground to rest her legs, "Hey, teacher? Why did you sign me up for the tournament? Was it really to test me?"</p>
<p>"Hmm, it started as that," he reasoned, "It gave me a sense of how far you progressed. And I was satisfied with what you did. I had also hoped that it gave you the drive to improve yourself. So, are you?"</p>
<p>"Hmm, I don't know. On what you're teaching me at least," she stated as she stared at the grass, "It has opened my eyes, sure, but I still want to chase my dream of leading a circus of my own." She then looked at him with a big grin on her face, "That's my goal in life."</p>
<p>"...I have a feeling that your parents used to be part of one," he commented. Getting nods from her, he snapped his fingers and stated, "You simply want to see what it was like. Even if you should achieve it, there has to be more than that."</p>
<p>"I may have another goal later on, but this is the one I have right now," she replied, keeping that grin on.</p>
<p>"Hmph, right," he murmured with a smile of amusement. Then, he got to his feet and declared, "Alright, rest is over. Back to your training!"</p>
<p>"Ha!? After telling you all that, I still need training!? Let me rest a bit longer!" she shouted in aghast.</p>
<p>He only laughed.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"You've been here for a few days now. I thought you'd be spending time with your friends," commented Towa as she put her demonology books away.</p>
<p>Aloe sighed again. True… why was she cooping herself up here? It's been a few days already and she thought she'd be able to distract herself in the meantime. She wasn't as affected by the near-death situations the party got into as it was rather… commonplace in her home.</p>
<p>"I'm… giving them their space. Adventuring is a stressful thing and they need some time away from it," she stated.</p>
<p>"Huh… do you feel the same way?" asked the warlock, suddenly next to her with a notebook open. Where in the world did she get that?</p>
<p>"I… No? I'm kind of used to it," she replied, wondering where this was going.</p>
<p>"Hmm, perhaps while waiting for them to destress, maybe do something for yourself," the half-devil stated as she scribbled down some notes, "Learn a new skill… a new spell… something to pass the time. You are still learning too, after all, right?"</p>
<p>"That… makes sense..." she muttered. She really did think so. Learning something new that can help her friends, even a little, would be worth it.</p>
<p>"Could you teach me anything?" she then asked Towa.</p>
<p>"Aloe, I have many books here. Maybe… try and pick apart a few and figure something out," the half-devil stated as she gestured to her small library, "I'm sure there is a demonomicon that lists some spells somewhere. Look it up."</p>
<p>Staring at her in shock for a moment, the succubus got up and walked over to the nearest shelf to look it through. How in the Nine Hells did she get a demonomicon here?</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Hmm?" sounded Miyabi as he looked up from his paperwork, "What did you say?"</p>
<p>"I want to hire a team from the guild," stated a grinning Kiara, "I need at least six people."</p>
<p>"Why exactly?" asked the guild clerk, a frown forming on his face, "The last request almost ended in a failure. I rather not put the other members through that."</p>
<p>"That won't be a problem," stated the chef with a grin as she pointed a thumb to herself, "I was a decent fighter myself back in the day. They'll be safe with me."</p>
<p>"Not reassuring," he deadpanned but put out his hand, "But fine, give me your request."</p>
<p>The grinning lady handed over the piece of paper. He took it and looked it over. He then glanced at her and asked, "Where did you get this information?"</p>
<p>"Prasadiv. He got this story out from some explorers that went up north," she informed him.</p>
<p>"You do know second-hand information is suspect," he stated.</p>
<p>"Well... I believe them?" she replied with a shrug while waving her arms around.</p>
<p>"..."</p>
<p>"Please! I really, really, want to get a few people together and find him! Think of the chickens!" she pleaded.</p>
<p>"Huh...You and your chickens," he muttered after a sigh, "Fine. I will put this up."</p>
<p>"Put what up?"</p>
<p>Both of them looked to the doorway. Aloe was standing there with a puzzled look on her face. Miyabi sighed and stated, "She has another chicken request. If your party wants to take it, you are welcome to. At least she is offering to lead, so there's that."</p>
<p>"Umm, I'll have to talk with the others first. Give me a bit," stated the succubus before ducking into the side room.</p>
<p>He then turned his attention back to the excitable chef and asked, "I presume Roberu has agreed to let you take some time off."</p>
<p>"Yup!"</p>
<p>He sighed and muttered, "Fine… we'll wait until they get back to us."</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Kiara is out there? She has a new request for us?" questioned Nene with wide eyes.</p>
<p>"In Miyabi's words, another chicken request," affirmed Aloe with a nod.</p>
<p>"Do we even want to take this up?" asked Polka, her mind drifting back to the last one, "If we are fighting monster chickens again, no thanks."</p>
<p>"...Yeah, no monster chickens," agreed Botan, closing her eyes and crossing her arms.</p>
<p>"Perhaps we should give her a chance and let her state her case first," suggested Lamy in an attempt to relieve the mood.</p>
<p>""...I think I agree with Lamy," mused the bard, "It might be the same. It might be different. We won't know until she tells us. Let's go see her."</p>
<p>Leaving the room, they found the chef at the counter, already talking with another team; Temma, Leda, and Civia. The half-unicorn joined their duo team after her original team with Doris and Artia got broken up.</p>
<p>"Hello, Kiara! What's this about a new chicken request?" asked Nene as the party joined up.</p>
<p>"Ah! Hey, nice to see you again!" greeted the chef happily, "Yeah, gather around if you want to join up!"</p>
<p>As they huddled around her, she started to explain, "Alright, I have gotten some juicy info that a cloud giant has settled down in the northern mountain ranges. And that he has chickens the size of houses."</p>
<p>"<em>And that's why she is asking for help</em>," the bard thought with a bit of amusement.</p>
<p>"Now, all we have to do is journey over to his place and ask permission or maybe even get a trade deal with him to let me have a giant chicken every new moon," she continued with ecstatic glee, "Oh, think of the dishes I can make!"</p>
<p>"<em>Ha… it sounds easy enough</em>," Nene continued to think through the explanation, "<em>But then we have to journey through the mountains to get there. It might turn out to be a long time before coming back to the city again.</em>" Her thoughts then turned to Doris, wondering how the mermaid princess was doing.</p>
<p>"It does sound enticing," murmured Leda, interrupting her train of thought.</p>
<p>"Yeah. I bet this would be an interesting journey," supported Civia.</p>
<p>"Indeed," agreed Temma, "But, we will have to make a lot of preparations for this. There will be a lot of walking. Unless everyone here gets some horses."</p>
<p>"Unless the guild can provide horses for us," stated Lamy.</p>
<p>The knight shook his head and stated, "No, they don't. Right, Miyabi?"</p>
<p>The guild clerk shook his head and explained, "We are still in talks about a contract with the stablemaster. Reviewing it will take time."</p>
<p>"Huh, then I wish it was done already," quipped Polka, "We could have traveled a lot faster for our requests."</p>
<p>"The more you know," added Botan as she shrugged.</p>
<p>"You weren't too against to walking before," pointed out Aloe.</p>
<p>"The cheaper thing to do," rebutted the fennec fox girl with a shrug, "If there's a discount, sure."</p>
<p>"So, is everyone on board with this?" Kiara asked everyone present.</p>
<p>"You can rely on my team and I," stated the knight, the two warlocks nodding in agreement.</p>
<p>"We're in," said the lore bard, getting support from her friends, "We took the first one. Why shouldn't we help with this one?"</p>
<p>"Alright!" cheered on the chef, "Now, I normally want to get going as soon as possible, but if you have any preparations to make, I'm fine waiting for you to be ready."</p>
<p>"Very well. I am sure everyone here needs to double-check their equipment before moving out," agreed the knight, "Perhaps we should reconvene here tomorrow morning. Is that acceptable, Kiara?"</p>
<p>"That's A-O-K with me!" she replied cheerfully.</p>
<p>"Alright, let's do our best, everyone!" declared Nene with determination.</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Happy New Year, readers. Welcome back to Wanderlust 2. We have a new arc in this chapter. But first a little glimpse of what the party has been doing during their time off. This also coincides with the level up. Meta-wise, Botan, Lamy, Nene, and Polka are currently level 6 at the start of the chapter. I tried to show the effects of their level up but couldn't for Lamy, so I've had her play dragonchess with Temma. Botan's ASI increase. Polka's extra training for her monastic tradition. Nene learning Additional Magical Secrets.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Speaking of Temma...</strong>
</p>
<p>Temma Kishido</p>
<p>Variant Human Fighter</p>
<p>Cavalier</p>
<p>
  <strong>The knight of the guild. Former noble who wishes to regain the honor of his family name. He still has a few retainers who will not be coming along with them as he cares for them. He will bring his horse though. I named it Casa. Started him with Defense Fighting Style and Polearm Master.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>His friend, Leda.</strong>
</p>
<p>Leda Astel</p>
<p>Lightning Genasi Warlock</p>
<p>Great Old One pact</p>
<p>
  <strong>Keeping with his supposed amnesia, he traded his memories for power with The Ancient One. The same One that Ina is under. Lightning is a homebrew subrace. Plus one to Cha, lightning damage resistance, and Ride The Lightning, which is Shocking Grasp at level 1 and Zephyr Strike at level 3.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>And then, Civia.</strong>
</p>
<p>Civia</p>
<p>Half-Unicorn Warlock</p>
<p>Celestial pact</p>
<p>
  <strong>Also a bandit victim similar to Rushia's backstory, but instead of meeting a necromancer, she was found by a unicorn who gave her some of its lifeblood to save her life. Thus, she was taken care of by it until she came of age and she was able to live on her own. Again, another homebrew. Plus one to Wis, Cha, and one more of your choice. Knows Celestial, Common, and one other language. Planar Recognition from celestials and fiends, fighting with her Unicorn Horn, Celestial Ancestry (advantage on saving throws to prevent being Charmed, Paralyzed, Poisoned), and Celestial Blood (Knows Druidcraft, Detect Evil and Good at Level 1, and Calm Emotions at Level 3).</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, we shall bear witness to their journey. And Kiara's details. </strong>
  <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Chapter 31</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 31</p>
<p>It was a warm morning when they reconvened. Everyone was armed and ready. Kiara led the party to the north gate, to the hired cart and they went to the village. Everyone rode on the large cart save for Temma, who had his own personal riding horse named Casa. They reached the village without any trouble. Then, they headed north, sticking to the chef's directions. Temma took it to himself to scout ahead on horseback after asking Aloe to hover over the traveling party to spot for enemies. Thanks to the formation, Aloe warned them about a pride of hunting lions. Instead of trying to go around the hunting area, they set up camp for the night.</p>
<p>Much to their surprise, the chef had actually prepared some premade food that tasted quite delicious when cooked over the fire. Sleep was undisturbed thanks to the Tiny Hut Nene summoned. They still had to post watch but only to watch over the knight's horse.</p>
<p>When morning came, they packed up and continued on their journey. It was then they came across a large watering hole. They stopped by to refill the waterskins and to rest a little. Suddenly, two loud roars echoed through the air. They looked up and saw two… dragons? Their arms were fused to their wings and they had a long barbed tail. Distracted, they didn't notice two watery figures making their way towards them as they rose up from the watering hole. However, this didn't escape Lamy's awareness.</p>
<p>"Elementals?" she murmured in surprise. She then pointed at them, saying, "What are they doing here?"</p>
<p>"This cannot be good," muttered Temma aloud as he ran over and mounted his horse.</p>
<p>"...Better get ready," said Botan as she moved away from the watering hole and nocked an arrow. Meanwhile, the half-snow elf started chanting prayers and blessings on the party.</p>
<p>It was then the elementals surged forward in spite of getting peppered with attacks. They engulfed a few of them, Lamy, Aloe, and Leda, in their watery bodies. At the same time, the wyverns dove down and snapped at a few of them with their maws. Of the three, the succubus managed to release herself, bursting out of the body with the flap of her wings.</p>
<p>"Hurry! Get them out before they drown!" shouted Kiara as she slashed the watery body while Civia conjured a flaming sphere and rammed it into the nearest water elemental.</p>
<p>Botan and Nene sprang into action, trying to get Leda and Lamy out respectively. Meanwhile, the knight had quickly circled around and charged by on his horse, his glaive cutting through the tops of the elementals while making sure he didn't hit anyone still trapped inside. However, they were persistent and continued to engulf more people. The succubus was dragged in again along with the half-unicorn warlock and the fennec fox monk, who was battering the nearest elemental.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Argh, out of the way," shouted Temma as the wyverns suddenly started targeting him as he finished his pass. He hissed as a stinger from one of the wyverns jabbed the back of his neck, injecting its poison load. The scratch was just that but the wound burned and was a little distracting. He had lashed out with his glaive and dealt a superficial blow, but it wasn't enough.</p>
<p>As the wyverns circled around in the sky, he powered through and reined Casa on. The horse neighed and burst into a gallop, bringing him around for another pass. He grit his teeth as he sliced through the head-like construct of the water elemental that was trying to drown two of the ladies. With half the party trying to free the engulfed ones while the other half tried destroying the elementals, he was confident that everyone would come out alright. Then, he ducked down to avoid another pass by the wyverns.</p>
<p>"<em>Take that</em>!" he roared inwardly as he lashed out at retreating wyverns, blood running down the side from one. From what he had noticed, Leda was busy shocking them with his lightning powers. Aloe and Kiara were keeping up with striking them while Nene and Botan were busy trying to pull the others out, who were also struggling to get out as well. Overall, making good progress in whittling down the elementals, in his opinion.</p>
<p>He then turned around to make another pass. This time, he had a wry grin as he was able to slice through a significant chunk of the water elemental he was targeting. However, fortune wasn't favoring him when the wyverns dived down for another pass. He bit back a cry of pain when he could feel their stingers make contact with his skin and pump him full of poison. It was like several red-hot metal bars were being shoved down his spine. It came very close to making him pass out from the pain but he held on.</p>
<p>"<em>Damn it… keep it together, Temma. You can do this</em>," he mentally urged, gripping his glaive tightly. Whipping the reins, Casa thundered down and he swung hard, his glaive dealing the final blow to one of the elementals. It's body burst as the water lost its shape and splashed all over, releasing its current captives. Nene and Lamy coughed and gulped down new air as they got to their feet.</p>
<p>"<em>One down, one more, then we do something about these wyverns</em>," he thought with renewed determination. This time, the diving wyverns didn't find purchase as he actively fended them off with his weapon, parrying their maws and batting away their tails. Feeling someone touch his leg, he looked and saw the cleric. He then felt the pain running wild down his back numbing down to a dull throb.</p>
<p>"Thank you, my lady," he stated politely, also full of gratitude. He noticed that a spectral sword had appeared and assumed that she summoned it. Reining his horse around, he then said, "Now that they are taken care of, let us settle these fake dragons."</p>
<p>"Let's do this!" cheered on Nene as magic, daggers, and darts battered the wyvern that was already injured. Not to be outdone, the spectral sword went sailing into that wyvern's throat as a blast of light lit up its bleeding head.</p>
<p>The second wyvern, ignorant of what happened to its hunting partner, still dive-bombed him. Letting a wry grin form on his visage, he twirled his glaive skillfully, turning aside its attack and drawing blood. As it rose up, it got bombarded by magic, darts, arrows. Apparently all that damage was too much for one, and it flew away instead of sticking around. As it did so, everyone cheered in victory. Glancing over at them, he blushed and quickly turned his horse around. As most of the fine ladies had spent time trying to survive their drowning attempts, the ones that had forgone wearing armor only had the clothes on their backs. It wouldn't do for a knight to stare. It wouldn't do at all.</p>
<hr/>
<p>After the battle, Temma pointed out that he spotted a village nearby and suggested going there. Everyone else agreed, wanting to rest a little before continuing their journey, so they headed towards it. The village itself was relatively new and was built over another village that had been razed by a marauding band of goblinoids a few years ago. As it was still new, they didn't have much, but being a small hunting village they at least have some amenities. They got some food and drink while they rested, with Nene deciding to sing a little ditty to help the food go down.</p>
<p>The village leader offered to house them but they politely declined as there was still some light and they could still journey on. Instead, after their meal, they helped to drag the wyvern they killed over from the watering hole. It was then presented to the village as a payment for the food and drink. This brought a smile to the village leader and he thanked them on behalf of the entire village.</p>
<p>"Alright, good luck in your travels," he wished them as they got ready to go, "If you head north without any deviations, you would come upon a former bandit camp. I heard that it used to be the base of the raiders that attacked the village before us and that it was the Smiter of Fear herself that destroyed them with her friends."</p>
<p>"Huh, I guess we'll head there next," stated Botan as they moved away from the village.</p>
<p>"We should not take that long to get there," stated Temma while Casa trotted beside them, "Right, spot for us Aloe. I will ride ahead."</p>
<p>After the fight at the watering hole, the party was thankful that nothing else decided to accost them. They reached the former bandit camp with the evening sun just about setting behind the mountains. Much to their surprise, the abandoned camp was deserted… as expected. The wooden doors were in disrepair and the wooden walls looked like they were going to fall apart any second. Inside, it was barren and desolate, as if nobody had ever lived here before.</p>
<p>"I think we should camp elsewhere," stated Lamy after the party went inside, "The place seems strange, like something evil lives here."</p>
<p>"Unless something is attacking us from above, I'm sure the place is perfectly safe," rebutted Leda.</p>
<p>"...I actually agree with her," Civia spoke up, "I feel uneasy here."</p>
<p>"I suppose being in a cul-de-sac is a bad idea right now," mused Temma as he looked around, "There does not seem to be anything resembling an escape route out of here should anything attack from the front."</p>
<p>"If this place doesn't feel right, then we should camp elsewhere," spoke up Botan, agreeing with her friend.</p>
<p>"Alright then, let's camp outside at the gates then," suggested Nene, "That way, we can see from all directions. I mean, we have to watch out for the horse anyway."</p>
<p>"That is certainly a good idea," agreed the knight, "Then, that is what we shall do."</p>
<p>With a decision agreed upon, they settled in for the night.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Lamy yawned as she kept herself awake by staring into the fire. Occasionally, she would look away and her eyes would dart around to observe for any sign of danger. The flickering embers crackled outside the shimmering dome of Nene's magical construct. Casa slept silently, standing stoically against the dark backdrop of the night. It was only the first watch and she had to stay up until it was time to wake Polka for her turn.</p>
<p>Suddenly, she noticed dark shapes moving towards them from the corner of her eye. Standing up and turning her gaze into their direction, her eyes narrowed. Several figures were moving towards the Tiny Hut at a slow pace. She could feel the lingering emptiness that emanated from them as they came nearer and nearer, step by step. Keeping her eyes on them, she went over to the monk and shook her awake.</p>
<p>"Uwah… is it time yet?" murmured the fennec fox girl as she yawned out her words.</p>
<p>"Something or some things are approaching us and I don't think they are friendly," she stated as the shapes slowly became clearer.</p>
<p>This woke her up and she scrambled to her feet to shake everyone awake. Meanwhile, the tattered armors and pallor skin of the approaching figures were very clear to her. Undead. Ugly reanimations of restless souls in her eyes. And it was her duty to protect the beauty of life from this perverseness. It was time to lay them back to rest.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Gods damn it," swore Leda as he got out of his bedroll and got ready to fight, "There goes my sleep."</p>
<p>"We better finish them off quickly then," snarked Aloe as the knight rushed donning his armor and ran out of the dome to get on Casa.</p>
<p>"Alright, we go out and beat them down. No problem," quipped Kiara as she stepped outside.</p>
<p>"Nene, this dome can't be damaged right?" asked Botan. Getting a nod from the bard, she continued, "Alright, you, me, and the spellcasters can take cover in here. Polka, Lamy, Aloe, and Kiara go outside and make sure we don't get surrounded. Temma… well, he's outside already. Let's go."</p>
<p>One by one, the designated defenders stepped out of the dome. Upon noticing them, the undead increased the pace, the ghouls and zombies stretching out their hands to grab at them. Since they are faster, the ghouls reached them first and started clawing at them. As they were tied up, the ones in the dome would move out, cast their spells or in the archer's case, shoot, and then step back inside. The arrangement was doing well, as the ghouls and zombies were quickly cut down, with Temma making hit and run attacks to also whittle them down. However, instead of recklessly charging in with them, the wights had stopped moving.</p>
<p>"Fire! Kill the living fire!" shouted the lead wight from his horse. They shot arrows around Kiara, focussing on the fighter.</p>
<p>This didn't hinder her. As the arrows rained down, she ignored the scratches and pushed back against the last ghoul she was facing. Then, eldritch blasts from Civia sent it flying into the last zombie, causing them to tumble over each other.</p>
<p>"Yosh! Nice one!" she cheered on as the warlock stepped back into the dome.</p>
<p>"Fire! Kill the healer!" shouted the lead wight again. Arrows rained around Lamy.</p>
<p>To everyone's surprise, she didn't raise her shield higher and a few arrows punched through her armor and sent her falling over.</p>
<p>"Lamy!" yelled Nene in horror but was held back by Botan, who had just come back in.</p>
<p>"No! Don't go out. We need you to keep the dome up," she said as halted the bard by hooking her arm under her shoulder.</p>
<p>"But..."</p>
<p>"We are already handling it," she assured sternly, "Look."</p>
<p>And look she did. The ghouls and zombies were down, and the defenders were moving on to taking out the wights. Temma had started to hit their back end and threw them into disarray. Aloe was throwing daggers at the frontmost wight. Kiara had moved to shield the downed cleric while the half-unicorn girl knelt down, pulled out the arrows, and laid her hands on her barely moving chest. A soft, white glow washed over the half-snow elf as her breathing steadied. She then stood up and sent two more eldritch blasts at the lead wight, knocking him off his skeleton horse.</p>
<p>"Keep it together, Nene," the archer chided one last time as she went out and shot her arrows to help the others.</p>
<p>The bard stood there as she looked out from the dome. One by one, the wights and the skeletal warhorse fell. As the last undead fell, her unease did not abate. Until Botan came over to hug her.</p>
<p>"You feel that you could do more. It's fine to feel that way," she stated as she released the hug, "Let me tell you this. If you didn't have this dome up, those archers would have shot at Leda and Civia. Then, we would have more people down and we might not have survived this. You've already done a lot just by keeping it up."</p>
<p>A few moments of silence passed between them. Then, Nene let out a relieved sigh and replied, "Thanks. I needed that."</p>
<p>"Anytime."</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome back. Time we continue our observations on this larger party. We follow them as they journey to the mountains. Quite eventful. Elementals and wyverns in the morning and undead at night. Most troublesome.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Before I forget, here is something about Kiara.</strong>
</p>
<p>Kiara Takanashi</p>
<p>Half-Phoenix Fighter</p>
<p>Battle Master</p>
<p>
  <strong>Protection Fighting Style with her shield and the Chef feat are the notable traits of this bird. After adding some levels, also gave her the Tavern Brawler feat. Now, again with the half-phoenix but that's just a simplification as she is technically both human and phoenix. Phoenix as she was involved with a ritual that bound the soul of a phoenix to hers. They became one of the same and thus Kiara was created. Still following her HoloMyth lore, being that she still dies of natural causes and reincarnates as someone new every time, losing her memories as she does so. However, she can also have a Phoenix Rebirth to come back to life if she dies due to other causes. Of course, she loses her memories as well, but not as severe as her reincarnation. And since she also counts as human, this enables her to visit Calliope in the realm of the dead. Come to think of it, she is Hololive's very own Deadpool minus the 4th wall breaking.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>As a half-phoenix, plus one Dex, plus two Cha and 35ft. move speed. Knows Celestial and Common. Has Fire Resistance, Hollow Bones (</strong>
  <strong>Your body is very light. If you fall from a height not higher than 10 meters, you fall as if you had feather fall), and Phoenix Rebirth (Failing 3 death saves, becomes a phoenix egg that can't be damaged. Returns back to their body at full health but must make a Wis save to see if you lose some memories).</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, we shall continue their journey. </strong>
  <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. Chapter 32</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 32</p>
<p>The party woke up late in the morning. After normal morning rituals, the party followed Kiara's lead. She led them to a wide dirt trail leading up to the mountains, saying that this was the path laid out by the exploratory expedition. She even got hold of a copy of a map the expedition drew out. The trail had a lot of twists and turns, slowly getting narrower the higher it went. They came across several branching paths but Kiara kept to the path.</p>
<p>"Where do those go?" asked Botan as they avoided another branch.</p>
<p>"From what was told to me, a few dead ends, a few cave entrances," the chef informed her aloud so that the others could hear her, "They were explored of course and found nothing living there. Not sure about now. Eh, anyway, right now, we don't need to go to any of them. But, night time? Sure, we can. They should be safe places to sleep."</p>
<p>Eventually, the path started going across the range, with the trail narrowing enough to force them to travel in single file across the mountain range. At the same time, they came across multiple branches going off in different directions. Again, supposedly leading to dead ends and caverns. The wind was a lot more fierce up there as well as the danger of rock slides. Then, Kiara started talking about the animals and monsters living in the mountains. Territorial ones were the most troubling. Or at least that's how she talked about them.</p>
<p>"Ah, right, seems like the sun is going down," she stated, as the party took in the beautiful sunset, "The next branch should be… here."</p>
<p>She stuffed the map away and quickly led the party to a cave. It was a large one, enough to house them and Temma's horse with ease. As they set up camp for the night, they heard strange noises coming from further in.</p>
<p>"What was that?" asked Polka.</p>
<p>"I don't know..." murmured Nene, "Do we find out what's going on?"</p>
<p>"Hmm, it depends, I suppose," stated Temma, "Are the noises going to be disturbing our sleep?"</p>
<p>"I feel curious about it," said Leda suddenly, "I suddenly have the need to investigate."</p>
<p>The knight sighed and asked, "Are you sure about this?" Getting a nod from his friend, he muttered, "Right, and as usual, you won't let up until you find out."</p>
<p>"You know me too well," said the lightning genasi with a smile.</p>
<p>Shrugging, the knight took charge. Being that the ceiling was a little low, he was forced to leave Casa behind. After making sure that the reins were secure, they ventured in deeper into the cave. Polka helped with her driftglobe, lighting up the place so that everyone could see. It was surprising to a few of them that the cave went that far back. All manner of stalagmites and stalactites dotted the place, sometimes narrowing the cave in some places. After a while, a voice suddenly called out to them, "Stop."</p>
<p>"Eh? Who said that?" asked Civia aloud after the party stopped in their tracks.</p>
<p>"Leave now."</p>
<p>"Umm, so… Who is asking us to stop?" asked Nene with interest.</p>
<p>"No come. Go away."</p>
<p>"That kind of sounds like broken Common. Weird," said Civia, "That one sounded a little different too."</p>
<p>"Two somethings?" asked the fennec fox monk, "What are they, guards?"</p>
<p>"If they are guards… what are they guarding?" asked Kiara.</p>
<p>"Allow me to try," spoke up Leda as he stepped forward. Focussing his concentration, he reached out with his mind, "<em>Did someone bring you here</em>? <em>Do you have a leader we can talk to</em>?"</p>
<p>Silence. Then, the two voices spoke up in alternate sentences, "<em>Speak with master? Do we bring them</em>? <em>We're guards, master's wishes. But they seek the master. I'll bring them. Yes, yes</em>."</p>
<p>From behind a shadow of a large stalactite, a green, floating head with a large toothy mouth flew out, shocking and surprising them. It had four extra eyes attached to eye stalks growing out the side of the head.</p>
<p>"Follow," it rasped out before floating ahead of them. The party looked at each other for a moment and followed after it.</p>
<p>The cave was very straightforward and they ended up in a large, cavernous area. They could see one corner of the place illuminated by candlelight. As they were led closer, a few strange voices started addressing them.</p>
<p>"Saved by horse. Horse with horns."</p>
<p>"Fire, fire, bird. Dead and life."</p>
<p>"What in the world was that about?" questioned the bard as they got closer. The others were just as confused as the owners of the voices hid behind the stalactites.</p>
<p>A robed figure stood over a magic circle, which was glowing with flowing power. Another of those green floating heads was observing from above. Slowly, a medium-sized chunk of stone materialized in the center and the glow died down.</p>
<p>"Master, many guest want talk," the floating head rasped out.</p>
<p>The figure turned to face them and spoke, "Guests? I was not expecting guests."</p>
<p>"You!" shouted Aloe in surprise, "You're the guy that summoned me!"</p>
<p>The summoner narrowed his eyes and backed away in suspicion. "What!? How did you find me!?" he shouted as he glared at them, recognizing some of them, "Who sent you now!? I will not be disturbed when I am this close! Kill them! Kill them all!" His voice echoed through the cave.</p>
<p>"What!? Wait a minute!" exclaimed the succubus.</p>
<p>The ground then shuddered as the chunk of stone suddenly unfolded itself, becoming an earth elemental. She quickly clamped her mouth shut. The green head that led them joined its hovering brethren. Behind them, the third head made its appearance. Two more aberrations appeared, the owners of the voices. Strange, twisted humanoids with taloned feet and hands, brown spikes and protrusions running all over its back, and a singular green eye.</p>
<p>"My research will not be stopped!" declared the summoner as he teleported away.</p>
<p>"Damn it," swore the knight as they got ready for a fight, "To arms! Defend yourselves!"</p>
<hr/>
<p>Polka, being behind the front line, decided to take on the monsters at the back. One of those floating heads and the two muttering mini cyclops. At least that's how she sees it. As Botan and Civia tried shooting the floating head out of the air, she rushed towards the nearest muttering monster.</p>
<p>"Eat! Eat!" it shouted as an emerald beam suddenly shot out of its eye.</p>
<p>She tried cartwheeling around it and it almost missed, but it grazed against her side. She grit her teeth and swallowed down the cry of pain as she landed. She pushed herself forward and flew forward knee-first, her tattoos gleaming purple. The monster shrieked and covered its eye with both hands, her knee crashing against it. As she landed, she shifted her leg around into a sweep. As it jumped, she suddenly rose and landed a punch into its chest.</p>
<p>"Tch," she sounded as it landed on its feet, clutching its chest. It then suddenly turned and ran away.</p>
<p>"Hey! Get back here!" she shouted as she lashed out with a kick and caught it in the elbow.</p>
<p>"Never mind that!" called out Aloe as she landed nearby, green blood staining her claws, "Help the others!"</p>
<p>"Yosh!" she shouted in reply as she turned and ran like the wind, intent on joining Kiara, Nene, and Temma.</p>
<p>A flying kick that missed later, she landed next to the earth elemental and punched its leg, cracking it a little. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed one of Leda's eldritch blasts getting reflected back into his chest. She grimaced inwardly as the elemental shrugged off the bard's and the chef's attacks as it slammed its rocky fists into the knight. He blocked one with his glaive but failed to react in time to another slamming into his shoulder.</p>
<p>"Take this!" he roared as he fought back, his weapon chipping away at its natural armor. Then, he and the chef got their heads blasted by a multicolored beam fired by the eyestalks of the two floating heads. A translucent cloud of shifting colors covered their head and left them in a daze.</p>
<p>As shocked as she was, she continued to focus on the elemental, her rapid punches slowly chipping away at the rock. Her hands were getting a little sore though. Suddenly, Nene sang a high note. Her voice seemed to echo through the cave and even reverberate through her skull.</p>
<p>"<em>Yikes, is she using magic to turn it up</em>?" Polka groaned inwardly as her ears started to hurt a little. Suddenly, large chunks of the earth elemental crumbled and shattered to little pieces, falling off its animated body like rubble. It then started seeing the bard as a threat as it tried pummelling her instead of the knight.</p>
<p>Suddenly, Kiara stabbed her in the shoulder with her sword. "ARGH! Hey, what's the big idea!?" she shouted as the cloud dissipated over the chef's head.</p>
<p>"Oh, my gods! I'm so sorry!" yelped the chef as she leaped back in horror, "I thought I was hitting the rock."</p>
<p>"...It's fine… those heads must have messed with yours. I forgive you," the monk stated as Temma finished off the elemental.</p>
<p>"Thank you!" exclaimed the chef as she hugged her.</p>
<p>"OW!"</p>
<p>"Sorry!"</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Is everyone alright?" asked Nene aloud.</p>
<p>"We're fine here," said Leda while Civia waved.</p>
<p>"Worn out but nothing that some sleep could not remedy," stated Temma with a tired smile.</p>
<p>"Ah, some of us are injured but we'll live," replied Aloe with a smirk before saying seriously, "Although, those eye guys are still around." She then pointed to a cul-de-sac off to the side, "They went there."</p>
<p>"Any idea what they are?" asked Lamy as the party made their way over.</p>
<p>"Dunno," said the succubus with a shrug, "That summoner must have summoned them the same way he summoned me. They must be trapped here too."</p>
<p>"Then, maybe we can reason with them," stated the knight.</p>
<p>As they went nearer, they could hear them muttering non-stop.</p>
<p>"Hello?" called out Kiara.</p>
<p>"Fire bird? What fire bird want?"</p>
<p>"Will you stop calling me that?" asked the chef with a frown.</p>
<p>"Seen it! Seen it!" the speaker shouted.</p>
<p>"Now, now, we should calm down," stated Leda as he and Civia stepped forward, "Now, were you summoned here by your master?"</p>
<p>"Horn girl... but who you?"</p>
<p>"Hmm… in that case… let us talk mentally," stated the lightning genasi and fell silent.</p>
<p>The rest of the party looked on anxiously, keeping a firm grip on their weapons or foci. After a while, Leda announced, "Well, they have agreed to come with us."</p>
<p>"EH!?"</p>
<p>"Well, they, shall we say, are hungry for knowledge," he began to explain, "They want someone or maybe something that can cure them of their condition."</p>
<p>"They weren't like this before. It's… horrible," muttered Nene, pitying the tragic story that was being painted, "Both of them are searching for it?"</p>
<p>"Yes. And they are quite aware and have a sense of our capabilities," he continued, "After telling them about our quest, they became very interested."</p>
<p>"Oh? Why is that?" asked Kiara.</p>
<p>"One of them said something on spellcasters when I mentioned the cloud giant. Perhaps that was it," he mused and then he shrugged, "They might be useful to us… Anyway, let's get back to the entrance. I believe it's time to turn in for the night."</p>
<p>"I will say that I do not trust them," stated Temma as he looked at the aberrations, "I insist on maintaining the watch rotation while they keep their eyes on the entrance."</p>
<p>"I agree. They may have been people before but who knows how their mind has been twisted by their curse," agreed Lamy.</p>
<p>"Sure, we can do all those things," decided the chef, "Come on, we haven't even had our dinner yet. Let's go!"</p>
<hr/>
<p>The night passed without any complications. Those on watch didn't notice anything strange, other than the strange aberrations constantly taking turns looking back at them while they guarded the entrance. The morning was quite wet as it started raining the moment they left the cave to continue their journey. They didn't seem too bothered by the rain but the rest of the party felt quite cold when the wind picked up, except Kiara. The wind and rain soon stopped while the sun's rays grew stronger. It still felt very cold but that soon passed as well as the sun slowly moved to the highest point in the sky.</p>
<p>Suddenly, a shrill cry pierced the air, stopping the party in their tracks. They looked around, keeping their eyes open for sudden attacks. Another shrill cry and suddenly three griffons swooped down to attack them. They flew down and started harrying them.</p>
<p>"What the-!? Why are they attacking us!?" shouted Botan as she tried to fend off the swooping monsters, everyone joining in to try and fight back.</p>
<p>"Argh!" yelled Temma as he was knocked off Casa's saddle, who he had just gotten under control as the griffons spooked it. She was then grabbed by another griffon and they flew off.</p>
<p>"CASA!" the knight yelled as he scrambled to his feet and chased after them.</p>
<p>He skidded to a halt at the edge of the path and looked despairingly at his horse, who was struggling in the monster's claws. Spinning around, he walked up to Kiara and asked, "Are there any places on your map that show where they roost?"</p>
<p>"I don't know… let me see," muttered the chef as she scrutinized the large piece of parchment.</p>
<p>"You do know that it is unlikely that she would be alive if we do reach them, right?" asked Leda solemnly.</p>
<p>"...There is still a chance. A slim chance, I know, but… I must at least try," admitted the knight, "If I simply gave up like that… she has been with me since young, I have to try."</p>
<p>"Hmm, alright. Based on the direction of where they are flying… we may not make it in time," stated the chef, "We follow the path and take the right branch at the first junction. We should end up circling around a small plateau that could have housed their nesting site."</p>
<p>"Let's go," declared Temma resolutely as he went on ahead of the party.</p>
<p>"He seemed pretty torn up," muttered Polka.</p>
<p>"Well, since he must have grown up together with his horse since she was a foal," reasoned Botan as the party followed after him, "If anything, we should help him."</p>
<p>"We better pick up the pace," mused Nene. Turning to Aloe, she asked, "Can you fly on ahead? To make sure they are there?"</p>
<p>"Eyes in the sky again?" grumbled the succubus, "I guess… I could dry my wings faster, I suppose." Flicking her wings open, she took off and went on ahead.</p>
<p>It didn't take too long to reach the plateau. Temma picked up the pace the moment they reached the path circling upwards.</p>
<p>"Hey, wait! Slow down!" called out the lightning genasi but the knight threw caution to the wind and hurried on ahead.</p>
<p>"Damn it," swore the succubus as she met up with the rest of the party again, "We better chase after him. The griffons are already eating his horse. And there are actually four of them. Hurry!"</p>
<p>They quickly ran after him while taking care not to fall off the path. Unfortunately…</p>
<p>"NO! CASA!"</p>
<p>"Crap, he saw them," muttered Aloe as the rest caught up with him.</p>
<p>Four griffons surrounded the dead horse and were busy feasting on its flesh until the knight's cries drew their attention. A large nest made of sticks and branches was off to the far side, near to the edge. Two of the griffons looked larger than the other two and had duller plumage. All four of them screeched and screamed loudly as they moved to surround them. Meanwhile, the knight had fallen to his knees and was staring at the dead body of his mount, his glaive on the ground by his side.</p>
<p>"Er, Temma, snap out of it," stated Leda worriedly, "We're getting surrounded." It was then, the griffons surged forward and attacked.</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome back. </strong>
  <strong>We finally get into our mountain adventure. </strong>
  <strong>After getting a little rundown of the place, we stop by a cave for another encounter. We have a summoner, the same one summoned Aloe into this world, and he has been up to similar stuff. The green heads are spectators, a type of beholder-kin, and the one-eyed creatures are nothics, supposedly wizards who chased immortality and screwed up, the backfire of the spell or ritual cursing them to become these creatures. And after that, we have the setup for the next chapter. It is unfortunate that Casa has now been eaten by griffons.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, we watch them beat up some griffons and move on with it. </strong>
  <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0033"><h2>33. Chapter 33</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 33</p>
<p>The griffon's beak crashed against her shield and the monster pulled back, the curve of the beak pulling down the ridges on the shield. Kiara stumbled forward and had to use her sword arm to protect her face. She hissed out her pain and swung wide, leaving a shallow cut on its paw. She then followed up with an overhead slash that gashed through its frontal shoulder.</p>
<p>Several crackling beams shot past her. The first slammed into its shoulder, creating a large blast. As it flinched, two more crashed into its chest. The blasts were smaller but they pushed the griffon off the plateau. However, with the flap of its wings, it stopped itself from falling and it rose up into the air. But, instead of coming back to attack her, it flew past them. Surprised, Kiara spun around and watched the griffon ram into Aloe.</p>
<p>"Argh! Get off!" the succubus yelled.</p>
<p>At the same time, she saw one of the larger griffons assaulting Temma and knocking him over.</p>
<p>"Kikiriki!" she cried shrilly as she charged towards it.</p>
<p>Forewarned, the larger griffon leaped back a little and dodged under her sword swings. Unfortunate for it, it let Temma get up and with a loud, "Die!", he picked up his glaive and thrusted, sending the blade through its chest. As it reared up and fell over to its side, he grabbed the shaft of the glaive and plunged it deeper, killing it.</p>
<p>The other larger griffon let out a loud scream as it noticed the other dying. Distracted, it wasn't able to dodge the other attacks sent its way. Leda's eldritch blasts to its neck. Botan's claws raking over its face. Stabbings from Lamy's spirit sword and Nene's rapier. A blinding flash of light to its eyes. It died unable to fight back from the onslaught. Meanwhile, Civia helped Aloe to kill off the last one.</p>
<p>Kiara slowly walked over to the heavily breathing knight and placed a hand on his shoulder, asking, "Feeling better now?"</p>
<p>"...No, but I, at least, avenged her," he admitted after a pause.</p>
<p>"Er, everyone? Better look at this," called out Civia, "We have a problem."</p>
<hr/>
<p>Everyone crowded around the large nest. There was worn armor and rusted, crumbling weapons right outside it. The inner part was lined with old feathers and old bones. Gold pieces were scattered everywhere. And in the center of the nest, was a lone egg.</p>
<p>"Umm, what do we do with this?" asked Nene, breaking the silence, "Do we take it with us?"</p>
<p>"If we are, we better take turns keeping it warm," stated Kiara, "Or if you want to cook it..."</p>
<p>"Come to think of it, maybe this is a blessing in disguise," interrupted Leda aloud, "Casa was getting old. While you may want to keep her around, wouldn't a griffon be better as a mount?"</p>
<p>"...I… it is not that the thought does not sound appealing… but I have no such training to handle a griffon," the knight replied after a long silence, "And I do not know anyone who knows how."</p>
<p>"Maybe we can ask Risu or her elders for advice?" suggested Polka with a grin, "Since they know a lot about the wilds, they can help."</p>
<p>"It does sound like a good idea," he mused. Then, he said, "Very well, we shall take it with us."</p>
<p>"I'll watch it first," declared the chef as she clambered in and picked it up, "Maybe try and pick out as many gold pieces as you can from the nest too."</p>
<p>"Hurry up and get on with it then," urged Aloe eagerly.</p>
<p>After Kiara got out, egg in hands, Polka and Botan went in to scavenge around for gold. They were able to pick up around a hundred pieces as well as a surprising amount of gemstones. The gems were handed to the team of five to keep while the knight kept the gold.</p>
<p>"Future expenses," advised the lightning genasi, "For the griffon."</p>
<p>They retraced their steps to the path, where they rejoined the one-eyed creatures and continued on their way. Thankfully, nothing else accosted them save cold winds and the sun's rays. Slowly, the sun went lower and lower. The party got a little worried as they hadn't found a branch in the path for quite a while now. They then came upon a rope bridge traversing over a sizable gorge.</p>
<p>"Huh, the expedition built this," stated the chef as she referred to the map, "Hmm, I think it should still be usable enough." She then motioned to follow, "C'mon, we can go two at a time. Follow me."</p>
<p>True enough, it was still usable. The rope has yet to fray and the wood has yet to break. But, by the time they had successfully crossed over, it was quite dark. Several torches were lit and passed around. It took another hour or so before they made their way to another cave and settled down for the night. They still kept watch, if only to make sure the one-eyed creatures didn't do any funny business. Once again, other than taking turns looking back at them while they guarded the entrance, they didn't do anything else.</p>
<p>Setting off in the morning, they continued on their way. The party followed Kiara's map diligently and they eventually reached another plateau, which seemed unnaturally made. On the opposite side was a big path going up another mountain… made of clouds. And it led up to a… huge house on a cloud. The party just stood there in awe at the sight.</p>
<p>"Woah," muttered Nene in awe, breaking the party's silence, "It looks amazing."</p>
<p>"This is the first time I've seen such a thing," added Civia as the party walked onto the plateau and looked around.</p>
<p>"I feel like I'm looking forward to meeting this cloud giant," stated Leda, "I wonder how he made this."</p>
<p>"Agreed. This will be a novel experience," affirmed Temma with a nod.</p>
<p>"...Does anyone hear that?" asked Lamy, her ears suddenly twitching.</p>
<p>Everyone looked around but not seeing anything. Then, Kiara looked up and shouted frantically, "Botan! Catch!"</p>
<p>The surprised lion girl caught the griffon egg while the chef ran and pushed Nene out of the way. A second later, a large boulder crashed into her body as she flopped on the ground.</p>
<p>"KIARA!" shouted the party in horror as they ran over to push the boulder away. They took a few seconds to collectively push the boulder away. It rolled off to one side, its point of impact… surprisingly devoid of blood. Instead of a body, they found ashes in the shape of the chef, her clothes, and equipment. There was a strange lump under her clothes. Nene stepped near it and reached inside to grab it. In her hand was a medium-sized, pulsating, egg-like thing. It was orange and red in color and emanated a blazing warmness from it.</p>
<p>"What in the world is this?" asked Nene as she held it in her hands.</p>
<p>"Fire bird! Fire bird!" shouted one of the one-eyed creatures, "Seen it! Seen it!"</p>
<p>"Fire bird… this strange egg-thing… you don't mean… is she a phoenix?" asked Civia in astonishment.</p>
<p>"...EH!?"</p>
<p>"Why are you here!?" bellowed out a voice.</p>
<p>They looked towards the house and saw a sky-blue skinned giant with smoothly-combed silvery hair and iridescent blue eyes. He was barefoot but wore a simple but finely made shirt and pants colored blue and green. He had a cloud-white cloak draped over his shoulders to complete his outfit.</p>
<p>"Leave. I have no interest in entertaining guests today," he continued to shout out.</p>
<p>"Wait! Please, we come seeking trade," called out the bard, the first thing coming to mind was what Kiara hired them for.</p>
<p>"Trade!? I see no goods anywhere!" he bellowed back, "If you wish to deceive me, you better come up with better lies!"</p>
<p>"Sir, please, if you would allow us to approach and explain better-"</p>
<p>"Enough, you will leave now or I shall shower you with rocks," the giant interrupted the knight.</p>
<p>"WAIT! Please, we need to help our friend! She is a phoenix!" shouted Civia, desperately not wanting the rest of the party to get into further trouble.</p>
<p>Silence.</p>
<p>"Fine, you can approach. But make any funny moves and you're getting booted off the mountain," he threatened as he gave them permission.</p>
<p>The party quickly picked up Kiara's things and immediately hurried over, Botan and Nene clutching their eggs carefully. As they approached, the giant raised an eyebrow at the one-eyed creatures following them.</p>
<p>"Why are these nothics following you?" he asked as he pointed at them, his voice rumbling like faint thunder.</p>
<p>"Ah… they were brought here by some mad summoner," replied Nene after some hesitation, "They decided to follow us after we mentioned we were trying to meet you."</p>
<p>"Hmph," he sounded with a frown. Then, he said sternly, "I am Svasdir. What is this trade you want?" Then, catching sight of the pulsating egg-thing in the bard's hands, he added, "And is this the phoenix you are talking about?"</p>
<p>"Er… well, she is that one that wanted to talk to you about trade," replied the lore bard.</p>
<p>"And of course things must be difficult," he grumbled. With a loud growl, he headed towards his house while saying, "If that is the case, come. We will have to keep it hot to bring her back."</p>
<p>The party quickly hurried after the giant. After he opened the door and allowed the party to go in, nothics included, he shut the door. They were amazed. While a little threadbare, it was still a little amazing. There were two other doors inside to two other rooms. A fireplace on one wall, logs crackling warmly. A huge sturdy chair and table set in front of it, with intricate carvings along the armrests and the table edge, inlaid with gold leaf. On the wall hung a huge tapestry woven with vibrantly colored threads depicting a scene of some sort of fight. There was also a large, ornately carved wooden mask. It reminded them of the performance masks that actors of plays used. It was half smiling, half frowning. It was gilded with silver with gold trimmings. On the table was a golden candelabra that bathed the room in its candlelight.</p>
<p>He pulled out the chair and stated while he sat down, "Go place the egg in the fireplace. It should be warm enough."</p>
<p>As Nene did so, he spied the griffon egg in Botan's hands and asked her, "You there. I see you found an interesting egg. Did you intend to find it or was it happenstance?"</p>
<p>"Er… well... " she sounded as she looked to the others. Turning back to the patient giant, she replied, "Well, they took Temma's horse and after chasing them… we had to fight them. They died. The horse died. And now we have this egg."</p>
<p>"We are going to raise them to replace Casa," spoke up the knight, "While I do not begrudge her death any longer, I still wish for recompense. Hopefully, they will serve me just as well as she did."</p>
<p>"I see. Have you any idea on how to raise such beasts?" the cloud giant asked as he lifted a large silver mug to drink from.</p>
<p>"I must be honest, I do not," he admitted. Meanwhile, Nene placed Kiara's egg in the fireplace itself, which began glowing and pulsating upon contact with the flames. Then, she hurried back to the group, who were listening intently to the giant.</p>
<p>"Hmph, I suppose I can bestow on you some information while waiting for the phoenix to revive," Svasdir mulled over, "I do not know when the egg was laid, but when it hatches and goes through the motions, you must spend at least six months with it. You must personally exercise and train it during that time for it to get used to you and the equipment you wish to use to ride it. This is to strengthen the bond between rider and mount. Then, when it is half-grown, there must be at least four months of intensive training with the same equipment on you riding it. It needs to get used to your weight and whatever armor you are intending to wear. A daily routine needs to be planned for those months and you must follow it to the letter or you may lose any progress you made in limiting its wild nature. Once at least two months of the training is complete, you can try and fly on the griffon as part of the training to get used to aerial mobility. Hmm, what else… ah, during that time of intense training should be when it would be needing a lot more meat than normal, perhaps even a horse. Best be ready to pay a lot of gold to have a steady supply unless of course, you know how to conjure some out of nothing."</p>
<p>"That is… a lot to take in," the knight stated before bowing, "Thank you for your advice. I shall endeavor to follow them the best of my ability."</p>
<p>"That's a lot to take in, sir," said Civia respectfully, "Have you reared griffons before?"</p>
<p>"Hmm, I have. Not anymore," the giant replied, suddenly looking a little somber.</p>
<p>"If you don't mind, what happened?" she continued to ask.</p>
<p>He took another drink from his mug and stated, "Ah… I lost a bet… well, several bets with my brothers. Thus, I am reduced to this. At the very least, I still have my tomes and knowledge." Then, he smirked as he continued, "But, I will surely win everything back with interest the next time we meet up again. Ho ho ho, I have several things up my sleeves for that. Hah!" He tapped the side of his head as he said so.</p>
<p>Their eyes blinked in response, not knowing what to say to this revelation. The giant noticed them doing so and said, "Hmph, anyway, I don't see why you'd care. My affairs are none of your business."</p>
<p>"Sorry, sir. Erm… how long do we need to wait for Kiara?" asked Polka.</p>
<p>"The phoenix? Hmm, give the egg a few hours and she'll be reborn," he informed them. After some thought, he asked, "Why does she want to talk to me? I cannot think of anything of the sort a phoenix would want to ask of me, trade or not."</p>
<p>"Well… she mentioned something about asking to trade for a giant chicken," Nene stated politely.</p>
<p>He barked out a laugh and finished his drink. Then, he replied, "Gods, I've never heard of such a thing in my long life. Hah! Phoenixes wanting my chickens." Seeing that none of them are laughing, he asked, "You are serious?"</p>
<p>"Unfortunately," confirmed Temma.</p>
<p>Svasdir shook his head in disbelief. Getting up, he then headed to one of the doors and went in. At a glance, they could see something of a storeroom with another door leading somewhere else before the door closed again. Not knowing what else to do, they headed to the fireplace and sat down in front of it. They savored the warmth of the fire, remaining that way for a few hours until they heard a crack coming from the fireplace.</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome back. So, they took down the griffons with ease. Very unfortunate that Casa is dead, but apart from the spoils from the nest, they find a griffon egg. Now, as we see later on, it would be a difficult thing to rear a griffon. But, it still hasn't hatched so they can still plan around it. Then, they reach the cloud giant's home. Not a castle, just a house. the big guy lives alone.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>And then Kiara gets a boulder.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>I mean, after looking up on cloud giants, they toss boulders as warning shots. So... who knows how the boulder will sail through the air.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Anyway, a bit too late now. However, they must contend with the cloud giant who saw what happened. Now, I read that cloud giants like showing off their wealth. Exquisite jewelry. Fancy made masks. Luxurious smelling perfumes. Extravagant-looking clothes and decor in their houses. I also read that they like making wagers and bets. So, here is Svasdir, who used to have a lot of riches and a full flock of high-grade griffons, which he lost over several wagers he made with his brothers. He is still considerably rich but most of his belongings gone in his house.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Thus, this helps to stir up some conversation between him and the party while they wait for Kiara to come back.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, Kiara comes back and we find out if Svasdir has any giant chickens or not. </strong>
  <strong>Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
<p>Omake: Back to The Office</p>
<p>The dreary, eerie green lighting lit the dark surroundings outside. The inside of the office was no different. A simple wooden desk was the centerpiece of the room with a used candle holder on one side and a stack of papers on the other. Calliope raised the glass of wine to her lips and took a dainty sip. She breathed in deep as she swirled the red liquid around before letting the intoxicating drink flow down her throat. Placing the glass on her table, she let off a sigh of relief. She had finished her paperwork. Finally.</p>
<p>"Geez, thank goodness I'm done," she muttered as she glanced over to the smaller table next to the desk. Three other stacks, neatly arranged on it, she looked at it with disdain.</p>
<p>"I think that's the only thing I don't like about my job," she mumbled as she took another sip, "Fricking paperwork."</p>
<p>Suddenly, she felt a link forming in her mind.</p>
<p>"<em>Mistress? Erm, we have a problem.</em>"</p>
<p>"...<em>Please, no more paperwork for the day</em>," she droned back mentally.</p>
<p>"<em>No, of course not. It's just that</em>..."</p>
<p>"<em>Well, out with it then. I haven't got all evening</em>," she retorted grumpily. Seriously, why can't those ghosts get to the point already?</p>
<p>"...<em>The phoenix is here again. She is on her way up to your office</em>."</p>
<p>"...<em>What</em>?"</p>
<p>"<em>The phoenix</em>-"</p>
<p>She immediately cut the connection. She got up from her desk and headed straight for the door in haste. She used up so much of her pay on repairing her door the last time that bird decided to die and visit her. She was not going to have a repeat of that. She immediately unlocked and flung the door open wide.</p>
<p>"CALLI!" shouted the phoenix as she sailed through the doorway in all her fiery glory... and landed face-first on the floor.</p>
<p>The apprentice reaper sighed and greeted, "Hello, shitty bird. Why are you dead again?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0034"><h2>34. Chapter 34</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 34</p><p>A great flame erupted as the cracking sounds continued, the fire rising up the chimney. A plume of fire shot out and formed into the shape of a bird. The fiery figure flapped a few times and started flying a loop around the fireplace before landing. As it came in to land, it slowly transformed into Kiara. Temma immediately turned around, dragging Leda with him.</p><p>"Kikiriki!" the phoenix exclaimed as she got surrounded by the girls, "Hello… why are all of you here?"</p><p>"You don't remember?" questioned Nene as the others returned the clothes.</p><p>"A little… I thought we were sleeping in a cave. When did we get here?" she asked as she got dressed.</p><p>"Er, today?" quipped Polka, "We already left the cave."</p><p>"Oh, they're still here too," she continued, noticing the nothics. They took one look at her and sniggered, muttering about fire birds.</p><p>"Ah, so you're awake."</p><p>The whole party looked up to the giant who had reseated himself on his chair.</p><p>"Well, what is this trade you wish to ask of me?" asked Svasdir.</p><p>The chef blinked and asked, "What trade?"</p><p>Silence reigned save for the crackle of the logs in the fire.</p><p>"Urgh… of all things, she forgot that?" muttered Aloe. The nothics started cackling to themselves.</p><p>"Wait… ah, yeah, I was wondering why I remember sleeping in a cave," exclaimed Kiara with a clap of her hands. Stepping forward she addressed the giant, who had raised an eyebrow at her antics, "Right, I have come to ask for a giant chicken." And the giant just laughed at her.</p><p>"Ah, it has been a long while since I laughed like that," he admitted as he composed himself, "Ahem, I'm afraid I don't have any chickens, giant or otherwise. I merely have a garden and a copse of trees I tend for myself. As for what they saw…"</p><p>He then pulled out a big chicken-shaped item from his pocket. It was also gilded gold and intricately made, looking quite life-like. He pressed a button on it and it showed a display they couldn't see as it was too far away. "This little thing helps to predict the weather for me whenever I feel lazy to do so," he informed them, "I got this from an interesting wizard I met on my travels. Smart feller." He then returned it to his pocket and turned to them, saying, "Well, as amusing as that was, you lot came here for nothing."</p><p>"What about them?" asked Civia as she pointed to the nothics.</p><p>"Hmm, I suppose they can stay. I don't know if I can do anything for them but I'll see what I can do," Svasdir mused as he stared at them.</p><p>He then got up and walked to the door. "Right, thank you for the laughs," he stated as he opened the door, "Now, get out of my house. I have things to do."</p><p>The crestfallen chef led the party outside. He noticed this and stated, "Look, you might have not found your chickens, but you learned something from this, yes?"</p><p>She nodded sadly.</p><p>"Hmph, alright. Goodbye," he wished them before shutting the door,</p><p>"...Are you alright?" asked Lamy, placing a hand on the phoenix's shoulder.</p><p>"...Let's just get a move on," she finally said after a moment's pause. She shrugged off the hand and walked on ahead.</p><p>They were concerned with the chef behaving the opposite of her normal nature, but nonetheless, they followed after her. The party made their way back down to the plateau in silence, with only the blowing wind accompanying them.</p><p>"Not sure if I need to ask this again, but are you alright, Kiara?" asked Nene, looking a little anxious, "Some of us here have worked with you before and I think I can say that we are concerned."</p><p>"...I'll be fine, I just need to work some things out in my head," the chef told her after a pause, "thanks for your concern, though."</p><p>"I just don't want… well, another Temma incident to happen again," she added.</p><p>"Hey, I wasn't that bad," protested the knight.</p><p>"You almost died trying to avenge Casa," stated Leda in deadpan.</p><p>"Erm… ah-ha..." he murmured embarrassedly.</p><p>"Anyhow, let's get going. I'm sure all of you would prefer beds over bedrolls," spoke up Kiara, prompting everyone to hurry along with her.</p><p>They reached the cave they used yesterday. As they made camp and started to settle in for the night, the chef suddenly said, "Maybe I should stop going for gimmicks."</p><p>"Hmm, what do you mean?" asked the half-snow elf as the bard started materializing the domed safe space. Instead of a full dome, the spell's area conformed to the cave in an oddly-shaped space instead.</p><p>"I mean, maybe I should be working on the taste of my chicken dishes," explained the phoenix as she sat on her bedroll, "I've tried cockatrices and now this failed search for giant chickens. I wanted something unique to identify my dishes. But maybe, I should be looking for the best blend of flavours instead of using a gimmick."</p><p>"That would probably be an interesting path to go," agreed the knight, "I can speak for my team that your cooking is quite delectable."</p><p>"He just means it's delicious," spoke up Leda to the confused chef.</p><p>"Oh! Thanks!" she replied with a grin.</p><p>"You know… I was wondering… how are you a phoenix?" asked Polka, her face scrunching up in puzzlement, "You aren't on fire. You don't look like a bird. You-" She stopped as the chef started giggling at her words.</p><p>"Ah, sorry. It's been a long time since anyone knew what I am," Kiara admitted with a grin after getting herself under control.</p><p>"Well, what can you tell us? I'm sure everyone wants to know," stated Civia, her eagerness, as well as the others, were very clear on their faces.</p><p>"I guess..." murmured the phoenix hesitantly, "Well, I don't remember when I became like this nor how many lives I lived through already..."</p><p>"Hah!? You lived this long already?" exclaimed the fennec fox girl.</p><p>"Shh, let her speak," said Botan, smacking the back of her head.</p><p>"Umm, anyway, I know that I used to be human," the chef continued, "The human and the phoenix merged their souls to make me. Hard to see where the human ends and the phoenix begins but that's why I look like this. So, I can die a normal death. Dying of old age is what happens for me. But, for sudden deaths like the boulder earlier? It isn't as permanent."</p><p>"So, you turn into that egg-thing we found earlier," spoke up Nene.</p><p>"Yup," she confirmed, "And normally, I need a long time to come back but apparently putting it near a fire makes it faster." She then chuckled at their incredulous looks, continuing, "Aww, don't be like that! I can't really remember everything, you know?"</p><p>"Ah, so that's why you are bird-brained at times," stated the lightning genasi.</p><p>"Don't I know it," she agreed with a smirk, "But in the kitchen, I am king. And I'm very sure I can come up with a unique flavour that will make my chicken dishes famous."</p><hr/><p>It rained that morning. Before they moved from the cave, they made sure the griffon egg was wrapped up warmly in a blanket from Lamy's backpack. The ground was wet and slick but they were still able to traverse through the mountain. The move across the bridge was a little riskier than normal due to the slipperiness but they made it with little to no trouble, even if they gripped the rope railings a little stronger. After that, the rest of the journey back was uneventful over the next two days, if you don't count the several times that they heard a griffon's cry and they pressed against the side of the mountain to avoid being seen. After the passing of Casa, it felt like the griffons stopped paying them attention. While it was a good thing, it made Temma morose from time to time.</p><p>On the second night of their journey back, they ended up in the summoner's cave. Aloe grimaced at the thought but joined them inside anyway.</p><p>"You really don't like him," stated Nene when most of the party had finished settling down.</p><p>"Hng… I was supposed to grant his wish and go back to finish my test," the succubus told her softly, "Then again, I wouldn't have been able to meet all of you. I've been… enjoying? My time here. Boring parts aside, it's been a nice time. Different from my time back home."</p><p>"What's your home like?" the bard asked in curiosity</p><p>"...Literally fire and brimstone. And the people... well, fiends, are very competitive and the rivalries between factions are very intense," she described hesitantly, "Very cutthroat. Violent. Nothing like this. It's… relaxing not having to watch your back fifteen hours a day."</p><p>"Well, then I'm glad you got out of that-"</p><p>"Ah, not so fast. Eventually, I will end up back there," she interrupted, "I just hope… after being with all of you, I don't want to go."</p><p>"No worries. You won't be going just yet. I'm sure we still have a long way to go before you go back," assured the bard.</p><p>"Hi, hi, right? No way I want to go back so fast," stated the succubus with a grin.</p><hr/><p>The morning started off swimmingly. It wasn't raining, but it was still a little cloudy. The party was thankful nothing interrupted their journey. They were quite relieved when they reached the end of the dirt trail and the wide-open grassland began.</p><p>"Ha… now all we need to do is get back to the city," muttered Polka tiredly.</p><p>"We'll get back soon enough," said Kiara, wanting to cheer up the fennec fox girl, "Meanwhile, we should visit the village to restock. I'm out of precook, so I'm looking to find out what sort of stuff we can get."</p><p>"Very well, let us head there now," decided Temma.</p><p>However, when they reached there that evening, the villagers seemed to be running around in a panic. The village leader then ran up to them with fear in his eyes and fell at their feet.</p><p>"You must help us! Our hunters discovered a raiding force coming to our village. Please help!" he pleaded desperately.</p><p>"And we will. Which day are they coming from?" asked the knight.</p><p>After getting frantic directions from the leader, the party headed out. After Aloe was asked to scout ahead, everyone got ready to fight the raid. Since there was a low hill off to the side, the party decided to set up an ambush there. With fighters front and the rest behind, they waited patiently for Aloe to return. That didn't take long to happen.</p><p>"They're on their way," she announced after she landed. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "There were hobgoblins on horses, a small group of goblins, and two ogres."</p><p>"Hmm, they have horses. That… unless we can spook them, they will overrun us the moment we attack," muttered Temma aloud with concern on his face.</p><p>"I… might have an idea," stated Leda, drawing everyone's attention to him. He smiled and turned to the side.</p><p>"Poruneu, time to come out."</p><p>A translucent, jellyfish-like thing suddenly appeared next to him. Along with it came a sense of… loss and grief. As if everyone could feel and understand what the knight felt several days ago.</p><p>"Now, now, try and reel it in," he told it in a chiding tone. Slowly, the feeling receded. It was still there but it was reduced and not as prominent.</p><p>"Alright, Poruneu will help us," stated the lightning genasi as he clapped his hands. Then, he directed, "Please Poruneu, go to the middle of the path there and lie flat on the earth, spreading yourself out."</p><p>As it floated away, he continued, "I can direct him remotely and cast my spells through him, so I should be able to do something to scare the horses."</p><p>"Just… just how in the world did you get that?" asked Aloe in disbelief.</p><p>"What is it?" asked Nene.</p><p>"A dybbuk."</p><p>"Oh so that's what it is," exclaimed Leda with a smile.</p><p>"More importantly, how in the world did you get it?" pressed the succubus, "It is supposed to be really difficult to bind one. And you have one."</p><p>"I don't really know. It was with me when I woke up with my memories gone," he stated as he shrugged, "Up to you if you don't believe me or not."</p><p>"Well, regardless, we do have a way to ambush the reading party now," said the knight as the succubus narrowed her eyes in suspicion, "Let us take our places and we wait for them to pass us. Then, we strike."</p><hr/><p>While everyone was waiting tensely, Leda was relaxed. The plan had been decided on and all they had to do is wait. It didn't take long for the raiding party to move past their hiding spot.</p><p>"<em>Are you ready</em>? <em>Poruneu</em>?" he asked mentally.</p><p>"<em>Yes, master</em>."</p><p>As the horses walked over the area his bound familiar was hiding in, he began to seep into its mind and linked his hands with its tentacles. He then began to chant softly as he splayed out his fingers while reaching out, "The power of my birthright, the lightning strikes and will be felt by all."</p><p>A loud zap ripped through the calm as his eyes flashed white. The shock emitted from its tentacles raced up the horses. Damage was minimal as it was dulled by the earth, but it successfully spooked the horses. They threw off all the hobgoblin riders and galloped off in fright. Meanwhile, the goblins and the ogres were looking at them and giving confused looks. That confusion ended when he noticed Civia gesturing and chanting softly to herself, causing a pillar of radiant light to rain down from the sky. Unfortunately, it missed its target and spurned them to decisive action. Almost immediately, the hobgoblins got to their feet and split up into two groups; one started shooting arrows at the party while the other got into formation and marched at them. The goblins also sprung into action and shot at them too.</p><p>"Well, this is a start," he muttered as arrows started pelting the front line consisting of Kiara, Aloe, Temma, and Polka.</p><hr/><p>"Inevitable frost of the north, beware its spread," chanted Lamy as an ice knife formed in her hand. She then flung it at the group of goblins. The knife and the resulting burst killed all but two of them.</p><p>"ELF!" roared out one of the hobgoblins, but his voice was drowned out by a loud note that rose up courtesy of Nene. Five of the advancing goblinoids keeled over dead as blood dripped out of their ears.</p><p>Suddenly, one of the dead hobgoblins rose up, its back bending at an unnatural position. It then jerked forward and let out a wail as it vomited blood on the ground. Leda sighed and facepalmed as he figured out what Puroneu was doing. Four of their party became terrified; Kiara and Civia let out squeaky sounds while Botan and Temma flinched at the sight. The archer was so disturbed she missed her shots.</p><p>"Shake it off. That was just Puroneu," stated the lightning genasi calmly as he sent out eldritch blasts on the advancing group of hobgoblins.</p><p>"Even if you say that..." muttered the phoenix with a shiver. But, she got herself together as the ogres began walking up to them. It got attacked as it got near but it shrugged it all off and slammed its greatclub on her shield. An audible crack made her wince as a lance of pain surged up her arm.</p><p>Thankfully, Civia's eldritch blasts were able to knock it back and get it away from their front line. She then yelped as two arrows grazed her arm as she and the cleric were showered with them.</p><p>Then, for some reason, Polka announced, "I'm going in."</p><p>"Wait-"</p><p>She didn't stay to hear out the knight, but charged straight at the blasted ogre, landing all her punches on its bare belly.</p><p>"Shoot the fox!" shouted one of the lead hobgoblins while the other cut down the possessed body. Puroneu escaped by sinking into the ground and disappearing out of sight.</p><p>Temma sighed and told everyone else, "Alright, let's go stop that from happening."</p><p>The frontline broke off. The knight charged into the goblins and took them out while the rest chipped down the ogres. Due to the unrelenting barrage of attacks, the ogres fell quickly.</p><p>Upon that happening, one hobgoblin captain shouted for a retreat. They shot the monk and retreated. She was able to fling back one arrow and bury it in one of their archer's skulls.</p><p>"Don't let them escape!" shouted the knight as he charged straight for them, the reach of his glaive ending their archers.</p><p>The hobgoblins fell one by one until only one of the captains was left.</p><p>"You're surrounded. Surrender now!" shouted the knight as he faced the badly injured hobgoblin.</p><p>"Go and die, human," he snarled back.</p><p>"Come, look into my eyes," said Aloe as she stepped up.</p><p>"What are you… yes, mistress?" he started to shout before replying blankly.</p><p>"So, why do you want him to surrender? Weren't you trying to kill them?" she asked as she turned to the knight.</p><p>He sighed and replied, "I was hoping we could find their base and maybe put a stop to their raids permanently. Yes, it may delay us from returning to Rivirapolis, but I would be remiss if this threat to the villages south of here is left unchecked." Turning to the charmed hobgoblin, he continued, "Now, let us see what he knows."</p><p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome back.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Happy times, Kiara is back. But, as we soon find out, it isn't so very happy after that as they find out the quest had... nothing. Very unfortunate. Our dear phoenix was disappointed but she soon finds some inspiration from her failure. King of the kitchen, am I right? Alright, time to go back to the city. It was then they find out about the raid that will happen soon. Cue the ambush. Success!</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Next chapter, we go and find out about the raiders. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p><p>Omake: Back to The Office 2</p><p>Kiara quickly got up and tried grabbing Calliope's waist. The reaper quickly got out of the way and the phoenix flopped on the floor again.</p><p>"Aww, Calli! I want a hug!" groaned the chef as she got to her knees and just sat there.</p><p>"No. I want to relax and enjoy my wine, thank you very much," she stated as she moved over to the table to get another drink, "On another note, what did you do now? At least the last time you showed up here, you died of old age."</p><p>"A giant tossed a boulder on me."</p><p>She blinked. "What?" she asked as she turned to face the phoenix.</p><p>"A cloud giant tossed a boulder. I saved my friends and got killed," Kiara explained.</p><p>An exasperated tone escaped her throat as she rubbed the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes as she did so. She then downed the rest of her drink, setting the glass on her table, and then facing her friend as she opened her eyes.</p><p>"How in this world did a cloud giant show up at the capital city?" she asked seriously, wondering if she had to make an appearance in Rivirapolis.</p><p>"Oh, I gathered a party from the adventurers guild and went north to meet him," the chef stated with a proud grin.</p><p>Calliope stared at her friend with a most incredulous look. "You mean to tell me..." she started slowly as if talking to a child, "You went north... to search for this could giant, and you got flattened by a boulder he tossed."</p><p>"Er, yeah!"</p><p>"Ha... you shitty bird," groaned the reaper as she slapped her forehead and shook her head, "Why... just... why... fine, I guess this warrants a hug from-"</p><p>"Nice, nice, nice, nice, nice, nice, nice," the phoenix exclaimed cheerfully as she suddenly teleported over and started caressing Calliope's cheek and temple while nuzzling her cheek into the other side of the reaper's head.</p><p>She grit her teeth for a few seconds.</p><p>"Get off, shitty bird!" she shouted as a scythe appeared. Its blade swung through the phoenix's body and slammed her to the floor with the rotation. It was bloodless, as it was just her soul getting hooked, but she was groaning as she lay splayed on the floor. The reaper huffed in annoyance and muttered about clueless chickens as she dismissed her scythe. It was then, Kiara's body started dissipating.</p><p>"Ah, I'm going back now," she muttered out dizzyingly, "See you next time, Calli!"</p><p>The pinkette waited until her body disappeared, replying softly with a smile, "Til next time, Kiara."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0035"><h2>35. Chapter 35</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 35</p>
<p>Through Aloe, they found out that the raiders were only recently formed after having come in from the north. Apparently, there were other paths going through the mountains that led to other places. They also got him to lead them to their base. It was in a small wooden fort built in front of a large cave. There was very little cover approaching it so they had to hug the mountain to get near it.</p>
<p>"Hmm, this will be difficult," muttered Temma as they observed from afar.</p>
<p>"Hmm, maybe we can trick them into letting us inside?" suggested Leda suddenly, a smile slowly forming on his face after a pause..</p>
<p>"How do we do that?" asked a curious Nene.</p>
<p>The lightning genasi's grin was in full form as he explained, "Right, you know how to create minor illusions?" Getting a nod, he continued as he gestured around, "You and me. We pretend to be hobgoblins with the illusions over us. Then, miss succubus here can get our friend here to lead us. Also, she can transform into a hobgoblin as well to complete the bluff."</p>
<p>"What about all of us?" asked Kiara.</p>
<p>"Well… you can pretend to be mercenaries that want to join the raiders," stated the genasi after musing over it, "We definitely look the part right now."</p>
<p>After everyone agreed with the plan, they prepared everything according to Leda's plan. Civia even healed the charmed hobgoblin captain to sell the illusion that he had won a fight and had successfully persuaded some mercs to join them. Once they were ready, the polymorphed Aloe ordered the charmed captain to lead them to the fort. There were a few hobgoblins on the walls looking at them as they approached.</p>
<p>They were stopped at the gate by two guards. After an exchange of words, they opened the gates. Inside, there were goblins milling around doing odd jobs, with a few hobgoblins standing at the firepit in the center of the fort speaking with another who was holding a quarterstaff with iron bands at the tips. However, once that one glanced over at them, he started shouting at everyone.</p>
<p>"I think they figured it out," stated Botan as the raiders scrambled to get or draw their weapons. As they drew their weapons as well, she quipped, "If that one saw through the illusion... is he a mage?"</p>
<p>"Might be, Take him out first. Quickly!" ordered Temma as the fight began, while the fake hobgoblins got ready to fight as well in spite of their transformations..</p>
<p>There was a sudden shout coming from the left side. A hobgoblin patrol, on the way back to the fort, also showed up and moved in to attack them too. Temma broke off to take on the patrol while Kiara moved up as backup for the fake hobgoblins. In the melee in front of the fort, the charm on the hobgoblin captain somehow broke. However, as he turned around to draw his sword, he got struck down almost immediately. An ear-shattering sound imploded in the mass of goblinoids crowding in the fort entrance. Meanwhile, the rest of the spellcasters as well as Botan rained their attacks from long range on the patrol and the hobgoblins on the walls, with Civia's blasts knocking them off the wall if they hit.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Damn fools! Must I do everything myself!?" roared the hobgoblin devastator before he raised his hands and his quarterstaff up while chanting, "Hear my call, elements of-"</p>
<p>"The elements will not help you today!" shouted Nene as she hastily weaved her own song to disrupt his casting, the tune of her whistling piercing his ears and causing him to stumble on his words.</p>
<p>"You dare!?" he roared in rage as she darted off to the side. She had spotted one of the hobgoblin archers that was knocked off the wall trying to shoot her.</p>
<p>His aim was off and he missed, but this let her run up to him to stab. It didn't work too well as it glanced off his armor. Thankfully, before he could fight back, he was blasted onto his back by an eldritch blast. Leaving the unmoving goblinoid, she hurried back to the fort entrance. However, a badly injured goblin ran out frantically. A pillar of radiant light missed as he ran past it.</p>
<p>"Hurry, get it!" shouted Civia.</p>
<p>Nene wasted little time; she intercepted the goblin, who wasn't looking, and stabbed him in the side with her rapier. Withdrawing her blade from its body and flicking the blood off, she quickly headed into the fort. Looking inside, she saw a lot of dead goblins off to the side while the devastator that was shouting at her was lying down on the other side while Polka pulled out her darts from his eyes. It was… a bit too gruesome and she almost lost the contents of her stomach.</p>
<p>"Nene, we can change back now," Aloe told her, already having reverted back to her succubus form. Leda had already done so. The bard nodded and undid her illusion.</p>
<p>However, while Lamy and Civia took a moment to heal some of them, several figures stepped out of the cave. More hobgoblins, one with a longsword and a shield, three with greatswords, and one wielding a staff, and two ogres. Inwardly, she groaned. They didn't have that much time to rest up and they just showed up. Then again, she sort of expected this as this was the raider's base.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"You dare attack us!?" the presumed leader, clad in full plate, shouted at them angrily, "I will have you executed for this!"</p>
<p>"Who are you to tell us that!?" shouted Temma in reply, "We are here to defend our peoples."</p>
<p>"Pah! Know your place, fool! I am Warlord Maul and I answer your insults with death! Destroy them!" he roared his orders as he raised his javelin to point at them.</p>
<p>"It is you who will fall this day!" cried out the knight as he led the charge forward alongside Polka and Kiara.</p>
<p>"Under pressure, walls closing down on me, surrounding my life, looking down on me..."</p>
<p>"Enough! You'll be singing a different tune when we're done!" the warlord roared over her singing while the ogres groaned loudly.</p>
<p>Those words seemed to bolster the morale of his guard as they also charged forward to defend their leader. The phoenix was unexpectedly trashed and cut down, much to the horror of the others. In spite of that, spells, arrows, and Aloe's daggers began flying. A flaming sphere burst into life in the middle of the hobgoblins, slamming into the warlord while Nene diffused the fireball that was being formed by the hobgoblin devastator. Polka even baited an ogre's greatclub into hitting one of the guards, killing him in the process.</p>
<p>"Die, human!" the warlord growled as his shield crashed against the glaive, "Hurry! Finish this one off!"</p>
<p>"You're welcome to do so first," the knight retorted as he twirled his glaive, nicking the side of the warlord's head with his second swing. Then, he yelled when one of the guards stabbed him in the side after missing the first swing.</p>
<p>"Heal them, quick!" shouted Aloe as she threw another dagger at that same guard.</p>
<p>Botan's arrows, both real and copied, peppered one of the ogre's heads. It froze for a second before falling over onto its side. Beams of crackling energy steak across the fort's yard as eldritch blasts slammed into the hobgoblins, the warlord staggering backward and falling over Kiara's prone form, the chef getting some reprieve from danger thanks to the bard. The devastator then screamed as he got burned and frosted over at the same time. Meanwhile, the remaining ogre lumbered over to Temma and slammed it's greatclub down on him, knocking him flat onto the ground, bleeding from his head.</p>
<p>"You are next!" declared the warlord as he got up and charged at the monk.</p>
<p>"Nope!" she jeered as she dodged out of the way, slamming her elbow into the nearest guard's face, breaking his nose. She tried using her other elbow, but it slammed into his half-plate, then followed with a flip kick, her heel crashing into his forehead. She then slammed the back of her fist into his half-plate, causing him to stagger into Kiara, who got up stabbing.</p>
<p>"Kill them, you fools," roared Warlord Maul.</p>
<p>The last hobgoblin guard standing answered his shout and stabbed the phoenix in the back while getting several arrows stuck in his arm. In turn, he got blasted apart by Leda.</p>
<p>"Yosh, keep it up, everyone! We can win this!" shouted Nene as she jumped back to avoid the ogre's swing.</p>
<p>"No! I will not let you!" roared the warlord furiously as he continued to tangle with Polka.</p>
<p>She avoided his first swing, leaning backward to take a swig of alcohol. She then lurched back up but stopped just in time to avoid getting a deeper slash on her chest. She yelled as she got stabbed in her leg and responded with a backhand to his face with the same hand that was holding her portable cask. She tried punching him another time but missed as he staggered back, reeling from the blow.</p>
<p>"Yah! This way!" shouted the bard as she continued to stab the remaining ogre before singing a stanza for Temma's health. Aloe got the final blow after flying down from the wall, clawing its throat and drawing blood. The large, hulking brute staggered before toppling over backward, blood flowing freely from its throat.</p>
<p>With the warlord remaining, both warlocks focussed on him, continuously blasting him with eldritch energies.</p>
<p>"Enough!" he shouted and made a desperate charge at the nearest person, Polka. The monk tried dodging out of the way, narrowly avoiding his stab. Unfortunately, he swung at her faster than she expected and slashed her stomach. Stunned, she couldn't do anything as she was stabbed in the same place.</p>
<p>"Get off her!" yelled out Temma as he suddenly charged and thrust his glaive, finding a gap in the warlord's armor under the shoulder.</p>
<p>His second thrust was deflected with the shield.</p>
<p>The third found the throat.</p>
<p>Warlord Maul sank to his knees, his hands grasping his gurgling throat, and he fell forward, dead.</p>
<p>"Hmph," the knight sounded off as he glared at the dead body. Turning away, he headed for the injured. "Is everyone alright?" he asked as Nene tended to Polka.</p>
<p>"O goddess, grant us your healing light that we may see the beauty of the dawn once more," prayed Lamy aloud. A few seconds later, almost the entire compound became bathed in soothing light that seemed to uplift the injured and ease them of their wounds.</p>
<p>"Temma, I think we should look around for information," stated Leda as the rest of the ranged party members joined up with them, "I find it strange that these raiders suddenly appear here. Perhaps we can find out where they are landing."</p>
<p>"And then, we can inform the relevant authorities in that region. Good idea, Leda," the knight agreed with a nod. Turning to the others, he continued, "Well, you heard him. Let us-"</p>
<p>"Not so fast. You are staying here," spoke up the cleric as she tugged him over to Kiara and Polka by the collar of his splint armor, "You still need healing."</p>
<p>"But-" he began protesting but clammed up when she glared at him, so he held up his hands and muttered, "Alright... Alright..."</p>
<p>Botan snorted and muttered something jokingly about a 'Mummy Lamy' before joining the others in searching the place.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Oh? This looks interesting," muttered Polka, "Hng… but maybe Temma might make better sense of this..."</p>
<p>She had decided to drag Botan into the cave with her to explore while the others searched the tents outside. The large cave had some furniture set up; a desk and chair with a bed beside it. On the desk were scattered pieces of papers, a few of which looked like maps of some sort. Several stumps of candle wax were clumped on one of the corners. Opening the two drawers showed nothing.</p>
<p>"Hey, Polka! Come here!" called out her friend, her voice echoing a little.</p>
<p>She blinked for a moment before heading deeper in.</p>
<p>"This way," she heard as she came to a junction. Taking the right turn, she ran down the torchlit passage, which eventually opened up to a large dead-end space illuminated with a few more torches. Her eyes widened as she took in the number of crates, large ceramic pots, and chests in here.</p>
<p>"Look at this," the archer called out as she dragged a medium-sized chest to the center of the room. To their surprise, the chest was unlocked. She opened the chest and found several daggers buried in lots of gold pieces. It was pretty much full to the brim in gold. Both of them goggled at the sight, unable to speak for a while.</p>
<p>"...What did we just find here..." muttered the fennec fox girl in disbelief.</p>
<p>"...I should call the others, I think," replied the lion girl, also in disbelief but a lot more composed.</p>
<p>As Botan left the cave, Polka started checking all the other containers. The pots had various liquids, some had plain water while some had something that tasted fruity and alcoholic. The crates had various foodstuffs like grains, dried meats, and preserved vegetables. The other chests had varying amounts of gold and weapons. Further back in the cave had metal ingots and some blacksmithing tools.</p>
<p>"Hey!"</p>
<p>Her ears pricked up at the faint voice. She turned around and looked around. Nobody was there. The lion girl hasn't come back yet.</p>
<p>"Hey!"</p>
<p>A shiver ran down her spine. There was that voice again. And she still didn't see anyone. She quickly went around the cave, looking into every nook and cranny to make sure nobody else was around. That she was completely alone. And she was.</p>
<p>"Hello? Is anyone there?"</p>
<p>A thought popped in her head. Maybe there was a ghost here? Is the cave haunted? Did the hobgoblins kill people here before getting the bright idea of storing their stuff here? Who died? Was it a man? A woman? Dare she say… a child? The voice sounded child-like. Was it a child? Please don't…</p>
<p>"Hellooo..."</p>
<p>She shrieked as she fell to her knees, shouting, "Please don't kill me!?"</p>
<p>"Polka? What are you going?"</p>
<p>She looked up and saw Botan, Nene, and Aloe standing there, looking at her incredulously. She hurriedly crawled over to them and hugged the lion girl's legs, saying in a freaked out tone, "G-g-ghost..."</p>
<p>The three of them blinked in surprise. After looking at each other, they said in unison, "Eh?"</p>
<p>"Is anyone there?"</p>
<p>Silence.</p>
<p>"Who said that?" asked the succubus aloud and looked around. The other two did the same.</p>
<p>"Here I am."</p>
<p>The lion girl's ears twitched, attempting to figure out where the voice came from. "It sounded like it came from the center of the cave," she mused as her eyes observed her surroundings.</p>
<p>"I think… here?" added the lore bard as she went up to the open chest.</p>
<p>"Hi!"</p>
<p>Sifting through the coins, she picked up a dagger with a serpentine blade. The handle had a small guard and was plain, without any decorations and engravings.</p>
<p>"Hello. Nice to meet you," the dagger said in a sweet voice.</p>
<p>She blinked a few times in astonishment, almost dropping the dagger itself. After a moment, she gathered herself and said, "So… you were the one talking?"</p>
<p>"Yup!" it exclaimed as its blade hummed a faint blue glow, "Erm, I'm sorry if I scared anyone. It's just very… well, lonely in the chest."</p>
<p>"Eh? How did you get in there?" asked Botan.</p>
<p>"Well… my creator's shop got raided by these red-skinned meanies," it stated, "I've been with them ever since. I kept quiet because I didn't want to be used by them. Thank you for saving me."</p>
<p>"No problem," quipped the fennec fox girl, now getting over her fright. She then went on to introduce themselves, "My name is Polka. This is Botan and Aloe. The one holding you is Nene."</p>
<p>"Oh… hello… I guess I should introduce myself then," the dagger said in an embarrassed tone, "My name is Anya and I am lucky to meet you."</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome back.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Well, interesting plan our party made. Unfortunately, the hobgoblin devastator was able to pick out their illusion a.k.a. succeeding the Int check to see through it. Thus, we have two fights, one after another. After successfully taking down the leader of this raid, they search the place for stuff to take back. It was during this search that they find... Anya Melfissa.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>So, it seems that sentient weapons also have stats, so here are hers.</strong>
</p>
<p>Int 13</p>
<p>Wis 13</p>
<p>Cha 13</p>
<p>Neutral Good Sentient Dagger</p>
<p>Languages: Common</p>
<p>Senses: Hearing and normal vision out to 30ft.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Right, so she is essentially a +1 dagger. However, since her creator was using her base model as an experiment platform, he also added an extra enchantment to it. Mechanic-wise, you can choose to re-roll one attack, one save, or one ability check. The second one must be used. Yeah, in simple terms, she got one luck dice attached to her, all because she plays FGO. This re-roll can only be used once per day. Her main motivation would be making friends. LAter down the line, she could earn more enchantments, but debatable. Maybe we can let Pekora tinker with her.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, we wrap up the arc. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0036"><h2>36. Chapter 36</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 36</p>
<p>After the round of introductions, they left the cave to inform the rest. Anya was tucked snugly into Nene's belt. In the large cave at the entrance, they found Temma and Leda pouring over the papers at the desk.</p>
<p>"Hi, hi, Lamy finally let you go?" teased Polka.</p>
<p>"Yeah, laugh it up," he retorted good-naturedly. Turning back to the papers, he said to Leda, "We should get these to the head guard… maybe we might be able to persuade the king to create another knight squadron."</p>
<p>"If so, we should push that through Lord Aruran," suggested the lightning genasi.</p>
<p>"Hey, let's leave them to do their thing and intro Anya to the others," said Aloe as the succubus pulled the other two outside.</p>
<p>The rest were searching the tents. Lamy, Civia, and Kiara were busy hauling stuff out of the tents and placing them around the fire pit.</p>
<p>"Hey, come here. We found something cool inside," she announced as she pushed the bard to the forefront.</p>
<p>"Erm, okay..." said Nene hesitantly as she pulled out the sentient dagger, "Here. Introduce yourself."</p>
<p>"Hi!" it said as the bard held it up to show everyone else, "My name is Anya."</p>
<p>"Woah..." sounded off Civia in awe, the other two having eyes going wide.</p>
<p>"That's so cool," said Kiara, "Are you alive? Are you trapped inside? Are you a spirit? Are you-"</p>
<p>"Erm… n-no?" the dagger said hesitantly as it interrupted her, "I don't know how I became like this. I just… happened. I don't really remember anything else."</p>
<p>"Well… do you want to go back to see your creator?" asked Lamy.</p>
<p>The dagger fell silent. Then, a strange sound came out from it. "I apologize if I brought up something painful," the half-snow elf quickly apologized, having realized that she may have hurt its feelings.</p>
<p>"...No… it's fine..." it muttered after sniffling a little, "My creator passed away. I don't remember how long ago. I just… know." And then, its voice perked up a little, "But, I'll continue existing. I don't know why I was made, but at least, now, I'm with friendly people. I'm happy. You'll be my friends, right?"</p>
<p>"Sure!" said the bard with a smile.</p>
<p>"Yay!"</p>
<p>"Alright," said Temma, drawing everyone else's attention to the entrance of the cave, "Let us head back to the village and let them know about the base."</p>
<p>"But, not before we get to take some rewards for ourselves," chipped in Leda with a grin, "We took a peek in the storeroom you found. I think there's enough for us and the village."</p>
<p>The knight sighed and replied, "I suppose that is fair… but we are telling the village head of how much we took."</p>
<p>"Well, we can help the villagers carry everything in the storeroom back there. Then, we divide the stuff up," suggested the phoenix.</p>
<p>"Ah! I can agree with that," stated the blonde knight with a smile, "Let us do so."</p>
<hr/>
<p>The village leader was overjoyed to see their return. Then, he became astonished by the news of the spoils of the fight. He called everyone in the village together and told them the news. Then, every able-bodied person went with the party to the fort to help carry everything back to the village. It took several trips to transport everything, but they did it without any interruptions. By the time they were done, night had fallen and the party was invited to spend the night there. Everyone accepted and they had a feast in the middle of the village.</p>
<p>The next day, they decided to pick apart the spoils and see what they wanted. Temma traded his armor for a set of full-plate, which he took to the blacksmith to get fitted. Aloe got some replacement daggers. Botan got a new bundle of arrows. And everyone in the party took two hundred gold pieces each. After Temma's new armor was fitted properly, the party made their way back to the capital. It was quite the opposite from yesterday, as nothing disrupted their travel. Instead, they decided to quiz Anya on what she knew of the hobgoblins, which wasn't much to begin with. What she did reveal, however, was that her creator and former master was a mouse person.</p>
<p>With that fact out in the open, Botan suggested that she might have originated from Gekko, where she and Polka were from. She then suggested that maybe they should go back there someday to find out what happened to the dagger's creator.</p>
<p>"Really?" muttered out the dagger from her place on the bard's belt, "I didn't expect that. I do want to find out but… I have a feeling that they are already gone. But… yeah, it's nice of you to do that for me."</p>
<p>"We're friends now. Why not?" declared Nene with a smile as she glanced down at her belt.</p>
<p>"...Thank you..."</p>
<p>The party reached the last village before the city and Anya fell silent. The knight hired a cart and added a little extra to get the driver to pick up the pace as they continued on their way. How fortunate that nothing came in to disrupt their journey and they reached the capital without a problem. Thanking the driver, they headed straight for the guild house. Upon reaching there, Lamy's snow fairy flew down the stairs and threw themselves at her.</p>
<p>The cleric giggled and said as the fairy nuzzled her cheek, "Aw, I missed you too, my friend."</p>
<p>As the other girls cooed at how cute it was, Temma and Leda went straight for the counter and addressed Miyabi, "We need to speak with Lord Aruran."</p>
<p>The clerk looked at them for a moment and said, "Alright, I'll contact him for your request." He then picked up a smooth stone with a symbol carved on it and grasped it in his hand. Closing his eyes, he stood still for a moment. Then, he opened his eyes and said, "He will be here. If you would wait in the side room for him."</p>
<p>The guys then walked over to the ladies and the knight said, "Well, Lord Aruran is on his way. If you wish to stay, you can join us in the side room. If not, do as you may."</p>
<p>"Right, I should thank everyone for joining me for this weird trip to the mountains," stated Kiara, "Sorry that it wasn't really worth it for you all."</p>
<p>"Aww, don't worry," spoke up Nene, "Sure, we didn't really succeed but, I'd like to think we learned a lot about ourselves and each other during that time. The more you know, you know?"</p>
<p>The phoenix chef giggled and said, "Yeah, that's true. And… I better get back to Robel's and make sure my helpers didn't burn the kitchen down. Seeya!"</p>
<p>"Goodbye!" chorused the others.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Ah, good morning, ladies," greeted Miyabi as the four girls came downstairs the next morning, "Lamy, a package came in for you today." He then pointed to a medium-sized crate under the bulletin board.</p>
<p>"Eh? Are you expecting anything?" asked Polka as they went over to examine the crate.</p>
<p>"I have no idea," replied the half-snow elf. Turning to the clerk, she asked, "Can you help us to open this? I do not have a crowbar with me."</p>
<p>"Alright, give me a moment," he said as he ducked under the counter to look for one. A moment later, he was pushing down on the crowbar to pry the top of the crate open, which popped off without any difficulty. All five of them peered inside and found a shield that seemed to be made of strange material. The cleric ran her hand over it and felt it strangely familiar.</p>
<p>"Actually, this feels like… oh, I think this is from Doris' captain friend," she stated in realization, "I believe he said something about sending me some armor." Carefully, she picked up the shield and turned it around. It looked well-made and well-shaped. Sturdy and protective. And when she picked it up, it started glowing blue.</p>
<p>"Eh?"</p>
<p>"Wow, where did you get that?" asked Aloe as she came in through the doors.</p>
<p>"Hey, Miyabi, why is it glowing?" asked Nene, turning to the clerk.</p>
<p>"Well, I'm not sure myself… but maybe you can bring it to the school to find out," he suggested.</p>
<p>They agreed that this was a good idea and brought the shield to the school. At first, they wanted to ask Rushia to introduce them, but she was busy in a class. Artia was in the same class so they couldn't ask her either. So, they waited outside the library while Nene went in to ask Rosalyn since she worked there. She found her easily as she manned the front desk at the time.</p>
<p>"Hello, welcome back, Nene," the librarian greeted.</p>
<p>"Hello, Rosalyn. I need a bit of help," she replied and quickly explained what was going on.</p>
<p>"Oh, alright. Then, you will need to see Professor Eriatta," the librarian explained and gave her directions to the classroom, adding, "Her class should be over by now."</p>
<p>Thanking the helpful lady, she rejoined her party and they went off to find the wizard's classroom. Finding it was not a problem. The wizard was a water genasi with blue-green skin and damp, slick blue hair tied up into a ponytail.</p>
<p>"Oh, hello there," she greeted warmly with a smile, "Do you require aid?"</p>
<p>"Yes. Sorry for disturbing, but can you help identify this shield?" asked Nene as Lamy brought over and placed the blue glowing shield on the teacher's table, "My friend received this as a gift and we're wondering why it was glowing blue in the first place."</p>
<p>"Hmm, do you know what it is made of?" the teacher asked as she gave the shield a once over.</p>
<p>"Umm, I believe it was made from chuul shells," replied the half-snow elf, "There was an incident during our travels and we ended up fighting a few. Then, it was mentioned that I would be sent a gift for our help."</p>
<p>"Ahhh, that makes so much more sense," the wizard said with understanding, "Right. What you need to know is that chuuls have a sixth sense concerning magical items. It is probably just reacting to any magical items present either on yourself or nearby."</p>
<p>"Ah… so, our amulets?" quipped Polka as she held up hers that was around her neck. The other four mirrored her actions.</p>
<p>"Indeed. So, perhaps once enough time has passed, the glow will die down and reset for detecting something else," reasoned Eriatta. Getting nods from the adventurers, she clapped her hands and asked, "Alright, is there anything else you need?"</p>
<p>"Well… how about this?" asked the bard as she produced Anya's body while Lamy took the shield off the table.</p>
<p>"Oh? Hmm, give me a moment," she stated before she went to a side table and picked out a pearl and an owl's feather. Coming back to the table, she requested, "If you would please place the dagger on the table."</p>
<p>Nene did so. The wizard placed both items on either side of the dagger. Then, she pulled a piece of parchment and a bottle of ink. She placed both items next to the feather. Taking a deep breath, she started chanting, placing one hand on the dagger while the other hovered a distance over the feather. As the chanting continued, a crack was heard and the pearl began turning into dust, swirling around the dagger making an arcane symbol. The feather then started levitating above the table. It dipped its tip into the ink bottle and started writing on the parchment. As the chant ended, the dust flashed and disappeared into the ether, the feather falling down lifelessly onto the piece of parchment.</p>
<p>Eriatta picked up the parchment and began reading off it aloud, "The enchantment on the dagger is strange and unknown. It is possible that the gods of luck have looked favorably on the enchanter and blessed it to bring some minor luck to their endeavors." She then looked at them and said as she placed the parchment on the table, "I must say, it seems Lady Luck has definitely smiled upon you if you actually found this."</p>
<p>"Woah, cool!" exclaimed Polka. By that time, the glow on the shield had died down and several students had made their way into the class.</p>
<p>"Ah, it seems my class is starting soon," the wizard stated.</p>
<p>"Thank you for your help," replied Nene with a grin, taking the dagger from the table and sliding it to her belt.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Miyabi! Anything new!?" called out Polka loudly as the party of five entered the guild house.</p>
<p>"Other than the everyday stuff, check the board, Polka," stated the guild clerk, "You don't have to ask me. Unless there is an emergency request, everything will be on the board."</p>
<p>"Ah, okay then," she quipped in reply before the party went to peruse it.</p>
<p>While that was happening, someone else stepped into the guild house. She wore traditional religious clothes colored red and white. Her hair and her furry ears were snow white. She stepped up to the counter and asked, "Hello, are there any members present for help?"</p>
<p>"Ah, Miss Fubuki," greeted Miyabi politely, "Yes, there are. Over there." He motioned to the bulletin board, where the five of them are still looking through the requests.</p>
<p>She clapped her hands with a happy face and said, "Wonderful!" She approached them and asked, "Hello, everyone. Can you help me with something?"</p>
<p>"Oh? Help with what?" asked Aloe, a little puzzled by the sudden appearance of the fox girl.</p>
<p>Looking at the five members present, she frowned as she looked at the succubus, "Hmm, a problem. I need some help cleaning the shrine near the city… but I don't think you can get in."</p>
<p>"Ha? Another shrine..." muttered the fiend with a pout, "Looks like that's another place I can't get into."</p>
<p>"You are taking things much better than I expected," stated the fox cleric with a raised brow.</p>
<p>"Erm, you see, it was like this," started Nene as she proceeded to fill her in about the island shrine.</p>
<p>"Oh… right, right, right, that makes sense," she replied, her frown now absent. Turning to the succubus, she apologized, "Sorry you can't help, but rules are rules."</p>
<p>Aloe waved it off, trying to show unconcern about this, "This is fine. How long do you need to tidy up a shrine, anyway?"</p>
<p>"In any case, we should be done by evening, so you can reunite for dinner," assured the fox cleric with a gentle smile.</p>
<p>"Alright, let's get started," said Polka eagerly.</p>
<p>"Indeed. Let us settle this quickly," agreed Lamy.</p>
<p>Smiling all the way, Fubuki led the group of four out of the guild house, leaving Aloe and Miyabi behind.</p>
<p>"So, what will you be doing while they are helping Miss Fubuki?" asked the clerk behind the counter.</p>
<p>"Eh, I'll think of something."</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome back.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Okay, thus ends Kiara's quest. Had fun gallivanting over part of the mountain range? I hope you did. Right, after divvying up the spoils of the raid, they headed back to Rivirapolis. The next day, we have a shield made of a chuul shell for Lamy. Getting it identified took awhile but neatly done. Then, we have a returning character hire some of Holo5 to clean up the shrine. Aloe had the rest of the day to herself.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, we take a few days to settle the in-between before the next arc. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0037"><h2>37. Chapter 37</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 37</p>
<p>Aloe thought she would be able to figure something out… but she couldn't. Without her friends, she couldn't really feel safe in this mortal city. She couldn't help but feel judging stares from the ordinary folk. Hence, once it became a bit too unbearable, she ducked into an alley and stretched her wings. Taking to the air, she found a freeing feeling as she went across the roofs of the city. She could feel all her worries fall to the wayside as she soared through the air. Truly liberating.</p>
<p>"Stop, thief!"</p>
<p>The shout tore her out of her reverie. Steadying herself into a hover, she turned around to try and find the source of the voice. She spotted a cat girl, Okayu if she wasn't mistaken, chasing a cloaked figure with pink hair peeking out from below the hood. They nimbly jumped across the roofs of the buildings.</p>
<p>Making her decision, she flew over with intent on intercepting the fleeing thief. She flew above the chase scene, making sure she couldn't be spotted. Then, she suddenly swooped down and flew right at the runner, slamming into their stomach. With a groan, they got knocked onto the roof. The hood had slipped off, revealing Spade Echo.</p>
<p>"Ah! Thanks for the help," said the cat girl as she caught up with them. She immediately slapped a pair of manacles on Spade Echo's wrists.</p>
<p>"Uhm… no problem," the succubus muttered hesitantly. As the urban hunter hauled the thief away, she noticed a small pouch in the crack of the roof. Glancing at the leaving duo, she reached down and picked up the pouch. Making another glance, she flew off, intending to examine the pouch later.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Huh, looks easy enough," muttered Polka as she hammered on a nail.</p>
<p>When Fubuki brought them to the shrine, it looked like it had seen better days. It was housed inside a simple hut with a wooden fence around it. Several wooden archways bordering the path through the forest leading up it. The fox girl then sent them around to help spruce up the place. The fennec fox girl was asked to help replace parts of the wooden fence. Lamy was asked to help clean the shrine and the hut itself. Botan and Nene were asked to repaint the archways, or gates as the fox girl called them. Some wood blocks, paint jugs, brushes, and buckets of soap water were prepared by some attendants and set beside the entrance of the shrine with some tools.</p>
<p>They quickly got down to work. Everyone had an attendant or two to help them with their tasks. The monk cut apart the blocks to fashion new posts for the fence. The cleric took time to use Mending on torn cloth, and the rice paper walls and doors. She then worked with her helpers to clean the hut, both the floors and the wooden parts of the walls getting wiped down with soapy water. Meanwhile, the archer and the bard painted the gates with their helpers making sure the ladders were steady.</p>
<p>And what was the fox girl doing at the same time? The snow-white girl had vanished elsewhere as after assigning the attendants to them, she disappeared. However, the party was busy with their respective tasks and didn't pay too much attention to her absence.</p>
<p>But, when they finished, it was a different story.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Aloe ran into the house and slammed the door. Towa glanced at her for a moment before going back to her book. The succubus slumped to her knees and produced the pouch she picked up. Undoing the strings, she poured out the contents. Her eyes shone when she found a few pearls and a gleaming diamond.</p>
<p>"<em>Oh… this must have been Spade's stuff</em>," she mused inwardly with glee. Then she frowned, "<em>Hmm, did she put it in the crack on purpose? Sneaky thief. If she didn't have this on her, she could pretend to be innocent.</em>"</p>
<p>"I hope you didn't bring any guards here during your larceny," stated the half-devil as she continued to read.</p>
<p>"I didn't steal anything. I just picked this up after someone else stole it," she explained as she got to her feet.</p>
<p>"Well, I suppose it isn't stealing if you aren't caught," stated the warlock as the succubus made her way over and sat in the adjoining chair, "I just hope the thief you took that from didn't decide to find you."</p>
<p>"If she does..." she stated as her eyes gleamed an otherworldly glow, "I can just… use my charms to get out of it."</p>
<p>"Just don't get caught."</p>
<p>"I know, I know," she muttered before yawning. Flying, as free as it feels, is a little tiring after the rush fades away. She slowly drifts off to sleep after a while.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Thank you for the assistance!" chorused the attendants as they bowed to the party of four.</p>
<p>"Thank you for your help!" they replied in unison.</p>
<p>Both parties then parted, waving as they did so.</p>
<p>"Where's Fubuki?" asked Polka as her head looked around, trying to see if she could spot the fox girl cleric.</p>
<p>"Hmm, she disappeared, didn't she?" mused Botan, "You know… I'm curious too. Where did she go?"</p>
<p>"Let's try and find out then," Nene declared as she stepped off the beaten path. Their interest peaked, the rest went after her.</p>
<p>After a few minutes of walking around, they heard the sounds of fighting. They quickly hurried forward and hid behind a large tree. In a very small clearing, they found four Fubuki's and of all people, Korone. It looked like they were sparring. The Fubuki's were all attacking at once while the dog girl was expertly fending them off with punches and kicks.</p>
<p>"Woah," sounded the fennec fox monk softly in awe. One Fubuki got punched through the chest and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Another got kicked in the face and disappeared in a similar way.</p>
<p>The remaining two Fubuki's dashed away, putting some distance between them and the bounty hunter. One of them then chanted, "Wind and shadow form around me. Obscure their sight with more to see."</p>
<p>"Not again!" shouted the dog girl as she charged at them. The non-chanting fox tried getting in the way but a punch and a kick later, became a puff of smoke.</p>
<p>To no avail. Three more Fubuki's puffed into existence. Two immediately threw punches, which were blocked by Korone. As they chased after her, she kicked both of them in the face, smoking them. She then flew forward, sending a flying kick into the third mirror image and dispelling it as well. Sidestepping the last Fubuki, she grabbed the kicking leg and threw her to the ground, followed by kicking her head. Strangely enough, the fox girl was uninjured.</p>
<p>"Bye bye," she said before shimmering out of existence.</p>
<p>The dog girl blinked a few times in disbelief, and then shouted, "Hey! Where did you go!?"</p>
<p>"So… why are you here?"</p>
<p>The party of four spun around and found the fox cleric standing behind them with a questioning look.</p>
<p>"Erm… ah-ha, you see, we were looking for you," stammered Nene in embarrassment, "We, er, we finished... cleaning up the shrine."</p>
<p>"Oooh, thank you for your help," she stated with a happy smile.</p>
<p>"There you are!" cheered Korone as she came round the tree, ready to fight. She then blinked when she caught sight of the party there. "Oh, hey guys. How's everything?" she greeted them with a big grin, "Oh, hi Polka,"</p>
<p>"Erm, hi..." replied the fennec fox girl as she waved hesitantly.</p>
<p>"Alright, Korone. I think we need to put our sparring on hold," stated Fubuki, "I need to check on the shrine. Please help them out of the forest."</p>
<p>"Okay! See you next time," she replied.</p>
<p>Waving goodbye to each other, they went their separate ways. It wasn't long before they found the path again, leading to the main road to the city.</p>
<p>"I have to go now, see you next time," said the bounty hunter cheerfully as she went the opposite way.</p>
<p>"Bye!" replied the party of four as they separated, heading back to the city.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Ah, and done," declared Lamy before handing the report in to Miyabi, "Here it is."</p>
<p>"Thank you, Lamy. Well written as always," praised the clerk as he filed the piece of paper away.</p>
<p>After leaving the guild house, they headed straight for Robel's, meeting up with Aloe on the way and entering together.</p>
<p>"So, how was your day?" Aloe asked Nene as they sat down.</p>
<p>"Ah, a lot of painting for me and Botan," the bard started, as the half-snow elf told their usual orders to the waitress, "Polka replaced their fence while Lamy cleaned up the shrine. It wasn't as big as the one on the island though. I think you should have come along though. The area around the shrine might have been off-limits for you but you might have been allowed to paint the gates. They are these giant wooden arches that lead the way to the shrine."</p>
<p>"Huh… maybe," mused the succubus, who then shrugged, "Eh, doesn't matter much."</p>
<p>"Ah, what have you been doing then?" asked the fennec fox girl with interest.</p>
<p>"Well..." the former started hesitantly, not knowing if she should say anything. Eventually, she did, "I didn't do much. A bit of flying over the city… then I helped to stop a thief Okayu was chasing. It was Spade Echo."</p>
<p>"Ooh, nice!" stated the lion girl with a thumbs-up, "So she is finally going to be thrown in the goal?"</p>
<p>"Er… I hope so?" she replied as she moved her hands under the table.</p>
<p>"Enough talking about thieves. Let us eat," declared Lamy as their waitress came back with their food.</p>
<p>"Aye!" cheered the other four.</p>
<p>After a rather cheery dinner, Nene, Botan, and Aloe left, leaving Polka and Lamy at Robel's to continue drinking. The lion girl went back to her room to sleep while the bard accompanied the succubus back to Towa's house.</p>
<p>"You don't have to do this, you know?" the fiend asked, the both of them walking slowly as to let their food settle.</p>
<p>"I know. I was thinking of meeting this Towa person," her friend stated, "Maybe I can learn something new from her."</p>
<p>"Not sure if you want to once you meet her," muttered the succubus.</p>
<p>"That doesn't sound promising at all," quipped Anya.</p>
<p>"You be quiet," Aloe retorted.</p>
<p>Someone then bumped into her. "Hey!" she yelped as she steadied herself before walking away.</p>
<p>"Weird, why did they bump into you?" asked Nene as she looked behind them. A cloaked figure continued walking away..</p>
<p>"No idea… wait, where's my pouch?" she suddenly asked as she started patting around her belt.</p>
<p>The figure suddenly booked it.</p>
<p>"Stop thief!" shouted the bard and both of them chased after the fleeing figure, with the succubus using her running start to go airborne.</p>
<p>She went to the rooftop level and flew after the thief, who was leading the two on a merry chase across several streets. Suddenly, she turned into an alley two turns later, ran into a dead end.</p>
<p>"Hah! We got you now!" shouted Nene as she tried speeding up.</p>
<p>Much to their astonishment, the thief ran up the wall. After a few feet, the thief sunk their fingers into the cracks and started scaling upwards.</p>
<p>"Oh, no, you don't!" shouted Aloe angrily as she slammed into the thief's back and grabbed them by the neck.</p>
<p>"Argh! Get off damn it!" they yelled as their hood slipped off.</p>
<p>"Huh, you again," the fiend stated as she flew down to the lore bard and held Spade Echo against the nearest wall. She then ripped the pouch away with her free hand, saying, "Thank you, very much."</p>
<p>"Guah! Give that back! That isn't yours!" protested the thief as she struggled against her grip.</p>
<p>"Huh, funny, coming from a thief," snarked the succubus as she returned the pouch to her belt.</p>
<p>"I have a reason, stupid devil," the pink-haired thief retorted.</p>
<p>"Then, tell us why," stated the bard.</p>
<p>"Nene, I don't-"</p>
<p>"I want to know," she interrupted her friend as she came over and placed her hand over Aloe's shoulder, "Please. Let her say her piece."</p>
<p>After a few seconds, the succubus sighed and muttered, "Fine." Then, she released the thief.</p>
<p>Gingerly rubbing her neck, she started as she turned around and leaned against the wall, "I steal to help the place I used to live at. That orphanage you visited all those days ago? I'm an anonymous donor that helps to keep the place running. The people there are nice and really care for them. They never knew I got involved in bad company. After coming of age and striking out on my own, I decided to go up from pickpocketing and lost kid scams, I used what I learned to get into burgling. I'm pretty good if I do say so myself. I may enjoy being a thief, but I also remember where I came from. If anything, keeping the kids well off there means less future competition for me." She said the last sentence with a wry grin.</p>
<p>Silence.</p>
<p>"So, what are you two going to do now?" she asked further, "If anything, you two should give me that pouch back."</p>
<p>"No… I don't think we should," drawled out Aloe with a frown, "I 'found' that pouch by myself. Doesn't matter if you stole it or not. Finders keepers, little girl."</p>
<p>"Spade Echo… are you going to sell off whatever is inside the pouch and give it to the orphanage?" asked Nene.</p>
<p>The thief quickly nodded and replied, "Most of my money goes there… well, after paying my expenses of course, a girl's gotta eat."</p>
<p>"Aloe… return the pouch," the bard decided.</p>
<p>The succubus frowned. After her friend gestured to the thief, she made an exasperated sound and pulled off the pouch. Before handing it back, she pulled out the diamond and a pearl, and tossed the pouch at the thief.</p>
<p>"Aloe..."</p>
<p>"Look, I understand she is doing this for the orphanage and for herself," she said exasperatedly as she watched the thief run off with the rest of her goods, "This is me holding back from going fire and brimstone on her. Not to mention I know there are a few spells that need these kinds of things." Saying the last sentence, she holds up the two things she took from the pouch. "This way, I can at least satisfy my needs and actually help my friends that I rather not turn away to satisfy my needs," she ended, her face almost red during her tirade.</p>
<p>Silence.</p>
<p>"...You feel the need to do bad things?" Nene asked hesitantly.</p>
<p>Aloe sighed and said, "You do realize I'm a succubus summoned here without fulfilling my summoner's needs or wishes. And I am stuck here until I am killed or that idiot actually asks me to fulfill something. And while I'm here, I have needs too. So, I'm sorry if this… makes you dislike me, then I-"</p>
<p>Shocked by the interruption of Nene's hug, she asked, "What… are you doing?"</p>
<p>"I won't dislike you or hate you or whatever. You're my friend and that's that," the bard stated with a grin, "So… if you absolutely have to do… something bad, I can keep a secret."</p>
<p>"You… you are… alright with this?" she muttered in disbelief but continued with a smile, "You are unbelievable."</p>
<p>"You can say that again," quipped Anya, "My new master has a real big heart it seems."</p>
<p>"Erm, 'master' doesn't sound appropriate," said Nene with a blush.</p>
<p>"Well, you are my new owner, why not call you master?" the dagger told her, sounding confused.</p>
<p>"That… nevermind, I guess you can call me what you want," she relented, suddenly feeling quite tired.</p>
<p>"Okay, master."</p>
<p>"Not in public, please."</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome back.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Right, we have interesting times ahead of us. Aloe has her own event. The other four have their own. Gets to help catch Spade Echo with Okayu. Shrine gets tidied up and a new face. Finds hastily made hiding place and takes the stolen valuables, then goes back homestay to sleep it off. Finds Fubuki and Korone sparring in a clearing. Party meets up for dinner. After dinner was over, Botan goes back to sleep, Lamy and Polka continue drinking (of course :P), and finally, Nene, Anya, and Aloe encounter Spade again. An exchange of valuables happened and Spade gets sent away.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Now, keep in mind that traditionally, succubi and incubi are neutral evil. It's in their nature and they can't run away from it. Aloe is in the same boat, where even if her student self is still being influenced by good people in the party, she still needs an outlet to do some evil stuff. Hence why the occasional evil act in the past and her current actions. On the other hand, we get a little more history I am putting forth for Spade Echo. Not fully evil, not fully good either. Chaotic Neutral. She'd rather do things her own way.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, well, I have to plan it out. Suffice to say, I'm not done with the mountain setting just yet. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0038"><h2>38. Chapter 38</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 38</p>
<p>A twitch of her ears. The swing of her tail. The calm serene smile. The snow-white fox girl stepped into the guild house.</p>
<p>"Good morning, Miss Fubuki," greeted Miyabi with a welcoming smile, "What brings you here this morning?"</p>
<p>"Good morning, Mister Miyabi," she replied politely, "I want to meet the girls that helped me yesterday. Are they here?"</p>
<p>"Oh, well, luckily, they are at the bar right now, having their breakfast," he informed her, "Would you like to wait for them here or-"</p>
<p>"Ah, no worries," she assured him, "I'll be meeting them. Thank you, Mister Miyabi."</p>
<p>She hurriedly turned around and headed straight for Robel's. Inside, she found three of the party busy eating their breakfast while the other two were groaning face-first on the table, their breakfast untouched. Roberu then walked over to them and placed two colorful drinks in front of the two.</p>
<p>"Here," he stated as he pat their heads, "Two hangover cures."</p>
<p>"Thank you," moaned Polka as she moved painfully to gulp down the cure. Lamy mirrored her actions.</p>
<p>"Can I?" asked Botan as she pointed to the fennec fox girl's breakfast.</p>
<p>The monk waved her on but muttered, "I want the milk."</p>
<p>"This is horrible," muttered Lamy as she did her best to munch on some bread.</p>
<p>"Good morning!" greeted the fox girl cheerfully.</p>
<p>"Morning," replied the party at various tones of cheerfulness.</p>
<p>"Is everything alright with the shrine?" asked Nene with curiosity.</p>
<p>"Oh, everything is fine. Thank you for your help," she replied with a beaming smile. That smile dimmed as she continued, "I need to find someone. Can you help me?"</p>
<p>"Of course, we can," the lore bard agreed with a grin, "What do you need help with?"</p>
<p>"Well, you see, I have a friend that has gone missing," she started to explain, "Her name is Choco, a tiefling cleric. She was supposed to come visit me a few days ago but she has yet to turn up. I am worried. Last I saw her, she was heading to a shrine in the mountains, stopping by Dusktown on the way."</p>
<p>"Okay! We can definitely help!" Nene exclaimed cheerfully. After glancing at her two hungover friends, she added sheepishly, "Well, not right away. But we will help!"</p>
<p>"Thank you, friends. It is very comforting that this is in capable hands," replied Fubuki with a radiant smile.</p>
<hr/>
<p>After hiring a cart and paying for the trip, the party headed straight for Dusktown. A few of them noticed some shadows darting through the forest during their journey but nothing out of the ordinary happened. They reached the lakeside town in good time and they thanked the driver for bringing them.</p>
<p>"So… what do we do now?" asked Aloe.</p>
<p>"I suggest asking around for the tiefling. Perhaps someone has seen her passing through here," suggested Lamy.</p>
<p>"Good idea. Do we split up?" asked Nene.</p>
<p>"Why not? We can ask more people that way," agreed Botan.</p>
<p>"If we are, then maybe we should meet back up in the center of town," suggested Polka.</p>
<p>"Ah-ha! Then, it's decided," the lore bard declared with a grin, agreeing with both, "We split up and meet again in the center of town. Let's go!"</p>
<hr/>
<p>An hour later, they met up again to share what they have learned. Plus one guest.</p>
<p>"Who's this, Botan?" asked Polka.</p>
<p>"Everyone, meet Roboco. She's the local tracker and hunter," introduced the archer.</p>
<p>"Hello-bo! Welcome to Dusktown," greeted the strange-looking person. She had wooden limbs instead of normal, fleshy limbs, as well as a pair of wooden cat ears on her head. She wore dark brown leather armor and a welcoming smile.</p>
<p>"Thank you for having us," replied Nene with a mirrored smile, "Has Botan told you why we are here?"</p>
<p>"Yeah. I know the person you wish to find," she confirmed, and then her smile gave way to worry, "I want to find out what happened to her as well. I haven't seen her for a few days and normally, she wouldn't take that long to visit the shrine."</p>
<p>"Hmm, okay. Can you lead us to the shrine?" asked Lamy, "I am afraid we do not know the way."</p>
<p>"Sure, I can do that," replied the hunter with a nod, "If you want to, we can leave right now. It may take a while to get there, but we can reach there by... late evening, I think, and camp out there."</p>
<p>"That sounds great," stated Aloe, trying to sound cheerful, "But I'm not sure if I can go near a shrine."</p>
<p>"Oh, don't worry about that," assured Roboco with a smile, "If the shrine can accept Choco, the grounds can accept you… well, as long as you don't cause any amount of trouble, you should be fine."</p>
<p>"Alright, lead the way, Miss Roboco," requested the lore bard.</p>
<p>She led them away from the town, skirting around the edge of the lake. Soon, they were led away from the lake and headed due east.</p>
<p>"Where is the shrine exactly?" asked Botan curiously.</p>
<p>"Well, it's halfway up the mountain," Roboco explained, "Not to worry, we don't have to go all the way up. There is a single path leading up there so it should be easy to find. I've been up there before. You'd really like the view from up there."</p>
<p>"Just a single path?" asked Polka with mild trepidation.</p>
<p>"Hmm, I guess so." mused the hunter, "I never really strayed from it? I prefer to be in familiar places and I am most familiar in the forests near the town. I've only accompanied Choco to the shrine once."</p>
<p>"Does anyone live up there?" asked Nene this time, "It must be lonely up there."</p>
<p>"The attendants there take turns to come down to get supplies at the town, so they are known somewhat," she explained, "Most of the time, they keep to themselves. You can pick them out easily as they are hooded figures in full-bodied green robes. Never showed their faces. They must have taken some vow or something."</p>
<p>One lonely path later, they walked through a sparsely vegetated trail up the mountain. The party was relaxed; with very little place to hide, the thought of ambushes never occurred to them.. True to Roboco's word, they reached the shrine in the evening. They were met outside by a hooded figure in greed robes.</p>
<p>"Greetings… I am Krinko… What brings you here?" the figure asked. It sounded like a guy.</p>
<p>"Hello, we are here to ask about a cleric," stated Nene, "Have you seen Choco Yuzuki? We came here on behalf of her friend, who has been waiting for her in the capital."</p>
<p>"Most concerning… she has not… we have not seen her," he replied, with odd speechlessness in between, "Lost, perhaps?"</p>
<p>"Hmm, I guess," stated the hunter, "Umm, I want to… confer… with my friends for a bit."</p>
<p>"Please," he said as he gestured off to the side.</p>
<p>As they huddled together, she stated, "I'm not sure what to think. Choco has come here many times. Getting lost would be quite impossible unless she went off the path for some reason."</p>
<p>"Something is off about them," spoke up Aloe with a frown as she looked at the hooded figure, who was joined by a few more hooded figures, "There is something off about them."</p>
<hr/>
<p>As the hooded group went back into the shrine, Aloe decided to do something about it. She went after the group, crossing the threshold of the shrine. As she did so, she froze. She was a little surprised that she didn't feel anything. The island shrine had a very saturated feeling before she got blasted back. But here? There was nothing. It was like the shrine was devoid of any influence. Instead, there was a heavy sense of death that radiated from the main hall of the shrine.</p>
<p>"<em>What is this</em>?" she wondered with a sense of foreboding, "<em>It feels like something is wrong</em>..."</p>
<p>A hand was placed on her shoulder and Nene asked, "What's wrong?" Everyone else had joined her at the threshold.</p>
<p>The succubus shook her head and repeated what she thought, "Something is wrong here."</p>
<p>"Eh? Really?" questioned Polka.</p>
<p>Botan growled and muttered, "I can smell blood now."</p>
<p>Lamy then walked past them and headed straight for the hooded group, shouted, "What is the meaning of this!? Where is Choco!?"</p>
<p>Aloe blinked in surprise, wondering why the cleric was behaving like this.</p>
<p>The one that was speaking earlier cleared his throat and replied, "Afraid that you are mistaken… this is not the cleric you're looking for… eh?"</p>
<p>"I do not believe you," said the half-snow elf adamantly with a frown, crossing her arms in front.</p>
<p>"Why?"</p>
<p>"If even a succubus says something feels wrong here, you have to listen," she declared seriously.</p>
<p>Aloe blinked and for a moment, smiled. "<em>Is this friendly acceptance</em>?" she wondered to herself.</p>
<p>The group of hooded attendants looked to each other. A few more started approaching them from the main hall. Their leader then turned to them and spoke in a creepy voice.</p>
<p>"Curiosity killed the cat."</p>
<p>They then pulled their hoods down. Instead of humans, elves, or any other mixed-blood human, they found humanoid crows. As they pulled out their weapons, two suits of armor stepped out from behind the doorway of the main hall of the shrine. The red glow illuminating the insides were very prominent as the suits of armor leaped up, soared through the air, and landed near the others. Both were armed with a longsword and a big shield.</p>
<p>"Are you kidding me..." the succubus muttered in annoyance as she extended her claws, getting ready for a fight.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Hands off Lamy!" shouted Polka as she jumped into the fight, slamming her heel into one of the kenku's throats. She then followed up the flying kick with a double kick, kicking that same kenku and his neighbor in his beak.</p>
<p>Squawking in surprise, they all converged on her. Swaying back, she nudged one into another, that same crow man screaming in pain as the other's blade injured them. Jumping back to avoid another slash, she felt something strike her from her side, the cleric's blessing flaring up in response. The aura then flickered out with the sound of breaking glass as another shortsword cut her arm. She then leaned back as she heard the sound of a whistling arrow coming her way. One missed but the other clipped her shoulder.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, an arrow slammed into a kenku's chest and sent their body crumpling to the ground. Then, to her surprise, Lamy slammed her mace into the nearest kenku, caving in their head.</p>
<p>"Woah, Mummy Lamy is angry!" she shouted cheekily as she slammed the back of her fist into a kenku's stomach. Then, she leaned back to strike another the chest and the throat, only to flip forward and slam the first one into the ground with her heel. That pretty much finished them off.</p>
<p>"Will you not call me that?" chided the cleric before chanting. She fired a ray of frost at the helmed horrors, who had gone after Nene. "W-what?" she stammered as the ray missed. More importantly, the spirit weapon she summoned didn't seem to affect it. The spectral mace didn't seem to make a single dent when it hit.</p>
<p>Then, the monk as well as the rest of the party shouted in horror as the suits of armor rained their sword slashes on the lore bard, breaking the blessing and driving the blades into her.</p>
<p>"Get off her!" she yelled as she rushed up to the nearest horror and started punching its armor. Feeling that her drunken boxing might not work too well on this kind of enemy, she went with brute force instead. She seemed to be making headway as her punches seemed to be able to crack the metal armor.</p>
<p>At the same time, Roboco and Botan rained arrows on them, the distraction allowing Nene to grab her rapier and make a tactical retreat. Their prey gone, the helmed horrors turned to the nearest target, the monk. She yelled out in pain as her arm and leg was gashed open by one horror. She grit her teeth as she tried dodging out of the way, the other horror's longsword drawing blood from her other arm. She ducked the follow-up swing, the attack going wide and chipping the other's armor. Suddenly, that one staggered back, the hunter's arrow slamming into the glowing, emptiness occupying the inner space of its helm. A momentary reprieve, she took a hasty swig of her brew, excess spilling out over her arms. It stung, but she used the pain to drive her forward. The kick slammed into its shield, putting it off-balance. A punch to the helmet space caused it to seize up and flinch. A roundhouse kick sent the helmet flying away and the rest of the armor toppling over backward.</p>
<p>"Turn away now, soulless chunk of metal," Nene shouted at the remaining helmed horror in a halting, mocking tone.</p>
<p>It ignored her jeers, as well as the spectral weapon hammering on it uselessly. It weathered the ray of frost and the lion archer's arrows and continued to swing at the monk. She leaped back from the swings, though with a new gash on her thigh. Another miraculous shot from the hunter staggered it again and she capitalized on this. She landed a punch on its chest piece but subsequent blows were blocked as it took a few steps back to put its shield in the way.</p>
<p>"We fight with trash!" the lore bard mocked with more conviction.</p>
<p>The armor shuddered as it lowered its shield, allowing Botan a clear shot at its helm. The red glow died and the armor collapsed to a heap after her bullseye disrupted whatever was holding it together.</p>
<hr/>
<p>As Lamy hurried over to heal Polka and Nene, Roboco ran ahead to check the shrine. The main hall. The side buildings. Botan and Aloe kept an eye outward, making sure nothing else showed up behind them while the other two got healed. Soon, the hunter rejoined them, silent and frowning.</p>
<p>"She isn't here?" asked the archer.</p>
<p>The hunter shook her head, "No, but I found the attendants. It seems they died trying to protect the shrine. There were also several patches of melting frost around the main building as well. I can't really tell where it came from."</p>
<p>"Hng, who were those guys?" asked the succubus as she glanced over the slain crow people, "I wonder if someone hired them or something." Having said then, she went over to search the bodies.</p>
<p>The lion girl grimaced, but she went over and helped. Each crow person had nothing on them except the clothes on their backs, their weapons, and a strange symbol painted on their right arm. Motioning over the recently healed party members, they pointed it out.</p>
<p>"Hmm… I don't think I have seen this before," muttered Nene in thought, "Although, a similar-looking symbol has been seen on magic circles used to… enthrall people."</p>
<p>"This is very suspicious already," muttered Roboco, pausing to mull over what to do. Eventually, she said, "Right now… it's getting late and I think we should turn in for the night."</p>
<p>"What do we do about the bodies?" asked Botan.</p>
<p>"I know what to do. But, everyone has to help me," Lamy told them.</p>
<p>What she wanted them to help her do was build a funeral pyre for all the slain people, both good and bad. The shrine compound had a stack of logs that they used to build it. Then, they dragged the bodies over and piled it on the pyre, while the armor that the horrors animated was dragged over to the side of the pyre. After that was done, the lion girl lit it with her tinderbox. As the blaze of the fire burned brightly, the half-snow elf muttered prayers for the departed while the others paid their respects. Dinner was taken in silence, everyone having varying levels of worry either for Choco or for the condition of the party. They made use of the sleeping quarters, where they turned in for the night. The hunter volunteered to take the first watch.</p>
<p>Thus, she found herself outside the building, keeping her eyes peeled to the outside of the compound. Morning could not come quickly enough.</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome back to the next arc.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Right, we begin with Fubuki the wai-friend hiring the holo5 party to find Choco-sensei. Their destination is the shrine that was only mentioned in the first Wanderlust. Of course, since they will be stopping by Dusktown on the way there, they will meet Roboco. She leads our party to the shrine, where they make a gruesome discovery. And this begs the question. Where's Choco? They also found strange patches of frost. Ice. What gives?</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>More Mummy Lamy. It's nice that the Mama Mio nickname is going around after last week's shitposting review. Can we get the Mummy Lamy nickname popular as well?</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, unexpected things will happen. I hope they can 'sortie' it out. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>PS: Has anyone made Bohemian Rhapsody, Hololive version? I am interested in knowing.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>MAMA MIO, MAMA MIO (SHE WILL NEVER LET ME GO)</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>AND HAACHAMA HAS SET ASIDE A PLACE FOR ME</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0039"><h2>39. Chapter 39</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 39</p>
<p>It was almost time to wake up the next watch when haunting baying pierced through the still air. Roboco narrowed her eyes as she peered past the dying flames of the pyre into the darkness. Suddenly, multiple red eyes appeared in the darkness. She immediately jumped to her feet and unshouldered her longbow, her eyes narrowing in wariness. Two more howls were heard as well as something being dragged on the open ground. She also heard the faint sound of something tearing, something she couldn't identify.</p>
<p>She turned to fling the sliding door open and shouted, "Get up, we're under attack!"</p>
<p>Her breath hitched as she found a scarecrow with glowing red eyes looming over the stirring party. Behind it was a large hole in the wall, apparently torn open. Quickly, she drew her bow and fired two shots at it. As the party started moving and freaking out at the scarecrow, she gasped in pain as she felt arrows and teeth nipping on her legs and back. She spun around and saw a team of kenku with shortbows at the entrance to the shrine. She also spotted more scarecrows stepping forward under the faint moonlight. Yet, she also clearly felt something biting her as well. Thankful that her limbs were made of living wood and metal, she tried peering through the darkness to find the source but to no avail.</p>
<p>"Alright, what's going on?" asked Lamy as four of the party gathered around the hunter.</p>
<p>"We got animated scarecrows, more kenku's, and some invisible monsters… at least I think they are invisible," she informed them, noticing and assuming the absent monk was busy taking care of the scarecrow that showed up in the sleeping area.</p>
<p>Before more questions could be asked, one of the approaching scarecrows suddenly let out an unnatural shriek and directed its harshly glowing eyes at them. As it grew brighter, Roboco was suddenly assailed with horrid visions of everyone in the town dying around her, slain by a giant octopus-like thing that rose from the lake. She was going to shoot when a large tentacle wrapped around her, pinning her arms to her side and breaking her longbow to bits. She struggled to get out of its grip, but she was slammed onto the ground and tossed into a wrecked house. As she felt something piercing through her chest from behind, she blacked out.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Roboco! Ah!" shouted Lamy as an arrow punched through her weapon hand, forcing her to drop her mace. Before she could retrieve it, the shadows suddenly coalesced and formed a large mastiff that bit her arm.</p>
<p>She screamed and shook her hand hastily in a terrified manner. It let go and dissipated into wisps of dark smoke. Another shadow mastiff appeared on her other side but she was thankfully still holding on to her shield and so it got nothing for its troubles.</p>
<p>"Shine on!" she heard Polka shouting behind her. Bright light shone out from behind her as if there was a sun in the sleeping area.</p>
<p>Three howls filled the air as the shadow mastiffs suddenly reappeared from the shadows, the bright light eating away their cloak of darkness.</p>
<p>"Good job, Polka!" she cheered on as she snapped the arrow in her hand and pulled out the shaft. She picked up her mace gingerly and proceeded to chant, "Raging storm of snow and ice, rain your hail down on my enemies!"</p>
<p>A clumped up formation of enemies suddenly got bombarded by snowballs raining down from on high. This was followed by a high-pitched note from Nene, causing one mastiff to break apart into black mist while one of the scarecrows burst open, its straw stuffing spilling all over the place. That left two scarecrows remaining; one shrieking and turning its terrifying gaze at them once more while the other swung its clawed arms at Aloe. For some unknown reason, she and the bard froze up after that moment.</p>
<p>"Aloe! Nene! Snap out of it!" shouted Botan as she took out another mastiff and caused the gazing scarecrow to stagger back as her arrow buried itself in its head.</p>
<p>The final mastiff shook itself out of its shock and bolted, running away from the bright light and thus the fight itself. Meanwhile, the kenku archers continued shooting at the cleric, who was getting quite annoyed by the nicks and scratches she was getting.</p>
<p>"A little help here!" she called out as she directed her spectral weapon at the scarecrows.</p>
<p>"Yahoo! Here I come!" shouted Polka as she charged down the scarecrows.</p>
<p>A flying kick and a punch later, the staggered scarecrow crumpling to the ground, its wooden skeleton breaking apart inside the straw body. She also lashed out with a kick against the remaining scarecrow, kicking it in the side and causing its attacks to miss the frozen succubus. Lamy added to this with a frost ray and her spectral mace after she helped to heal up Roboco.</p>
<p>The hunter in question shook her head as she got to her feet, saying, "Thanks, Lamy." She then shouted out, "Botan! Help with the crows!" She then raced ahead and shot at the kenku archers, downing two of the five.</p>
<p>"After you!" the lion girl shouted in reply as she ducked out of the building and shot at the archers as well. Two more fell while the last one got an arrow to the stomach. The remaining archer immediately ran off into the darkness.</p>
<p>After the last scarecrow fell to Polka and the ghostly mace, the tired party regrouped in the courtyard.</p>
<p>"Is everyone alright?" asked Lamy.</p>
<p>"I don't think I've ever been this badly injured before," stated Roboco, surprising everyone with her smile.</p>
<p>After taking a moment to look around, Nene said, "I think…we better go back to bed? But..."</p>
<p>"With my globe lighting up the place, Botan should have a better time watching over us," quipped the fennec fox monk.</p>
<p>"Yeah, I think I should be fine. Just turn down the light a bit," the lion girl agreed, "You all can go back to sleep."</p>
<p>"Alright. Thank you very much."</p>
<hr/>
<p>In the morning, the party decided to burn the fresh bodies from the night battle. After the burning and the prayers, Roboco informed them about something unexpected.</p>
<p>"I'm going back to the town. I have to inform the mayor about this," she informed them, "I'm sorry I can't help but this is much too important to ignore."</p>
<p>"We understand. Go on ahead. We'll try our best to find Choco," replied Nene.</p>
<p>"Yeah, wish us luck," added Botan.</p>
<p>After waving and saying their goodbyes, the lion girl got to work. There were barely any tracks for her to find but eventually, she found a faint blood trail that was dusted over. It led them off to the side, off the beaten path, and into a forested area. They headed inside and after an hour of walking, they found the kenku from last night, dead on the ground with several parts of him missing from their body. It seems they were eaten, either by the beasts of the forest or the mastiff that ran away. The bard looked a little ill, Aloe trying to calm her down. Another faint trail went off in one direction, with faint splatters of dried blood.</p>
<p>"This is getting harder to track," she muttered after a while as she looked around. Growling a little after making her observations, she continued, "Damn it, I lost the trail."</p>
<p>"Hey, Botan, I think we're nearing the mountainside," stated Polka as she peered through the brush, spotting the rock face of said place.</p>
<p>"Hng… I hope I can pick up the trail again..." she muttered as she continued onward, the rest following after her.</p>
<p>Lady Luck must have smiled on her as she found a paw print of dried blood leading up a rock path snaking upwards.</p>
<p>"Ow, nice," said Nene cheerfully, "We can continue following the trail."</p>
<p>"Feels a bit too easy, to be honest," stated Aloe, "Are we walking into a trap?"</p>
<p>"Maybe, but we aren't going to find Choco without going up," spoke up Anya suddenly, "You're just going to have to keep moving forward."</p>
<p>"Quite," Lamy agreed, "Let us get on with it."</p>
<p>The path was straightforward, much to their suspicion. After another hour, they came up to a large cave mouth. It looked like a literal fanged mouth, with strange sharpened pillars as the overtly large teeth.</p>
<p>"Abandon hope, ye who enter here," quipped the dagger in a spooky voice.</p>
<p>"Stop that. You're not helping," reprimanded the bard, tapping the hilt.</p>
<p>"Hmm, I do not see anything out of the ordinary," stated the half-snow elf as she peered through the darkness of the cave.</p>
<p>"Well, let's go in then," declared Polka as she stepped in first. The rest followed after her, making sure to keep together.</p>
<p>The deeper they went in the darker it went. However, when the mouth of the cave disappeared, the ceiling started being spotted with luminescent green moss, increasing in abundance the deeper they went. Strangely enough, there were plenty of spaces along the wall where the light was unable to penetrate. It made the trek inside a little… unnerving to the party.</p>
<p>"Are we there yet?" asked Anya cheekily.</p>
<p>"Shhh!" hushed the bard, tapping the hilt again.</p>
<p>Soon they reached the end, encountering a large cavern whose walls were mostly shrouded in shadow. Visible parts of the wall were decorated with bones and waxy deposits reminiscent of terrified faces. A large flat stone served as some sort of table with knick-knacks strewn over it. On one side was a bubbling cauldron over a fire pit emitting a creepy green glow, its contents boiling and giving off wispy green tendrils of smoke. The light from the moss has been reduced here quite a bit, but still enough to illuminate the cave dimly.</p>
<p>Before anyone could stop her, the fennec fox girl called out, "Hello? Is anyone home?"</p>
<p>"Why did you have to do that?" Aloe hissed out, "Now they know we're here. We could have-"</p>
<p>"Oh yes, I am," spoke out a suspiciously welcoming voice.</p>
<p>A figure stepped out from the shadows. Purple skin and short curved horns, dressed in an old brown dress. Shuffling over to the stone table, she brushed aside a few things and sat on it.</p>
<p>"Hello, little ones. I am Lola Darkmingler. What brings you to my humble abode?" she said as she smiled sweetly, a great contrast to her wrinkled, demonic looks.</p>
<p>"Do you know of the shrine just beyond the forest from here?" asked Nene, getting a nod from her, "We are looking for a cleric that usually visits there. Do you know where she is?"</p>
<p>For a moment, her smile broke into a scowl. But then, it went back to a smile pretty quickly. The monk and the archer noticed this little twitch, making them a little warier of her.</p>
<p>"Ah… I'm afraid that I don't know what you are talking about, dear," she told them as she smiled, "I normally keep to myself in my lonesome in my cave."</p>
<p>"Um... if you're sure..."</p>
<p>"How long have you been staying here?" asked Polka, interrupting the bard.</p>
<p>"Oh, we- I have been living here for quite some time now," she stated, "Occasionally, I would visit the town for my needs but that's all I do. Most of the time, I spend my time brewing my potions and the like." She then clapped her hands and asked, "Would you like to buy some?"</p>
<p>"I rather we do not buy stuff from a fiend," spoke up Lamy with suspicion, "Who knows what she put inside those things?"</p>
<p>"Oh, I assure you these are quite alright," she replied, her smile becoming a little strained, "I do not simply put anything in them. I always make them for a specific purpose. Our- I mean, my potions are perfectly potable."</p>
<p>"How about we skip the dancing around and get to the point?" retorted Aloe, deciding to get straight to the point, "I know you're lying. Who is this 'our' and 'we' you are talking about? Did you attack the shrine? Why did you kill them?"</p>
<p>She didn't answer those questions. Instead, she said, "Well, well, well, a succubus? What are you doing here? In the company of these little ones? Are you planning something, my dear?"</p>
<p>"Stop talking nonsense! We are asking you questions!" the succubus retorted again, more harshly this time.</p>
<p>"Hmm..."</p>
<p>"Don't tell me you're going to listen to her," complained the succubus as she turned to the cleric, who was looking at her suspiciously.</p>
<p>Lola started cackling randomly, bringing all the attention back to her.</p>
<p>"Oi, what are you laughing at?" Aloe shot back angrily.</p>
<p>"Oh, I don't know. How about the fact a succubus is traipsing around with four other mortals like she was one of them?" the night hag jeered, "It sounds quite hilarious to me."</p>
<p>"Answer the questions!" the infuriated succubus shouted, small orbs of water faintly forming on the tips of her eyes.</p>
<p>While this exchange was going on, the lion girl spotted something weird. "Nene… what's that?" whispered Botan as she pointed out a strangely gleaming stone sitting on the slab of stone. It looked nearly perfectly spherical… almost like an eyeball.</p>
<p>The bard's eyes widened a little. "I only heard of such things," she whispered back, "Supposedly hags like her can make those things out of eyeballs… but… only covens can make such things. Erm, a group of hags." She then tilted her head in confusion, muttering, "Wait... if this is a coven… where are the other two?"</p>
<p>"I'll ask her," stated the archer.</p>
<p>"What? Wait-"</p>
<p>"Hey, Lola. What's with that hag eye over there?" she asked aloud before the lore bard could fully protest.</p>
<p>"An eye? Oh, surely you must be mistaken," the hag replied with a strained smile.</p>
<p>"...So there were more here," growled out the succubus with a frown before she demanded, "What did you do to the tiefling?"</p>
<p>The hag's smile turned to a frown at a drop of a hat. "So… you are her friends, eh?" she ground out, "That damned girl tried to undo… ah, naughty, naughty." An evil grin graced her face, "I won't simply tell everything to you. No, no, no. You will have to pay for it, my dears."</p>
<p>"Eh, pay?" repeated Polka with a dumbfounded expression.</p>
<p>"Pay with what?" asked Botan in confusion.</p>
<p>"Why should we pay her anything?" muttered Aloe through gritted teeth.</p>
<p>"Erm, maybe we can barter or make a deal with her or something..." suggested Nene, trying to reason with the party.</p>
<p>"We refuse."</p>
<p>"Hmm?" sounded Lola in surprise. The rest of the party was just as surprised and they looked at the cleric.</p>
<p>"You, being a clearly demonic being, will not see a single copper piece from us," stated Lamy seriously, "Even if she is a succubus, I would trust Aloe a whole lot more than I trust you."</p>
<p>"Lamy..." muttered the succubus with a sob.</p>
<p>"Oh, you do, do you?" sneered the night hag before cackling out, "In that case, you'll never find your friend! Kill them, my-!"</p>
<p>"Surprise!" yelled Polka as she flew through the air, her foot connecting with the hag's chest. As she landed, she punched the hag's face twice, drawing first blood.</p>
<p>"Kill them!" shrieked the hag through her broken nose.</p>
<p>Two shadow mastiffs burst out of the dim light and lunged at the monk. She dodged one and shook off the other, the blessing upon her breaking to the sound of glass. As the mastiffs disappeared into the shadows again, she looked up and found the hag missing.</p>
<p>"Eh?"</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome back.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Strange how things work out. The party gets attacked at night. Thanks to Polka's driftglobe, things become more manageable. The next day, Roboco goes back to Dusktown to inform the authorities about what happened while holo5 continues trying to find out what happened to Choco. Botan's tracking led them to a night hag's cave. How will they win this? We already have a driftglobe, but now this night hag can disappear too? Hmm...</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>On another note, I think this is the first time I used shadow mastiffs here. Bright light definitely takes a lot away from them. Do I regret giving the driftglobe to Polka? Not really. They have never met or fought them before, so the first time they saw it happening, they would be surprised it works. The second time, they would have a pretty good idea to use the driftglobe as soon as possible. In this case, I added other enemies, old and new. There are scarecrows in the cave as well as some other kind.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, we conclude this particular encounter. Till we meet again, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0040"><h2>40. Chapter 40</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 40</p>
<p>"Heh… these guys again?" asked Botan as she shot at one of the scarecrows that stepped out of the darkened shadows along the walls. It creaked and shuddered as one of the arrows went through its eye.</p>
<p>As Nene sang and strummed her lute, Aloe got her throwing daggers ready. The two scarecrows began glaring at them with their glowing eyes. The bard was able to concentrate on her song while the succubus froze up.</p>
<p>"What happened to the hag?" asked Lamy aloud as she summoned her spectral weapon, a sword this time, slashing the scarecrow that the archer tagged. She then followed up with her frost ray, caking its legs in ice.</p>
<p>Suddenly, two horrid looking stone statues burst out of the shadowy wall and headed straight for them. Their targets were the archer and the bard, clamping their teeth on their arms and clawing on their arms.</p>
<p>"Argh, what are these things?" yelled Nene as she slammed the blade of her rapier on its face, forcing it to release. Botan did the same, except slapping the top of its head with her bow.</p>
<p>"Tch, they look like the temple gargoyles," said their cleric.</p>
<p>"Coming through!" shouted Polka as she ran straight at the tagged scarecrow and went on the attack. However, she got attacked from behind, the shadow mastiff biting her arm as she turned around. Its surprising weight suddenly brought her down to the ground before disappearing into the shadows again.</p>
<p>"We need to take these out first! Let's do this!" encouraged Nene as she put away her lute and drew out her sword. Then, she and Botan, who dropped her shortbow and triggered her transformation, started fighting back in melee. A moment later, Lamy joined in, helping the lion girl with her gargoyle. Unfortunately, Aloe was still frozen in place as the scarecrow that glared at her started approaching and attacking.</p>
<p>Flat on her back, she quickly dug into her pouch and pulled out the driftglobe. Closing her eyes, she raised the globe and shouted, "Shine on!"</p>
<p>As daylight filled the cave, the shadow mastiffs bayed and howled as their shadowing invisibility melted away. They immediately ran away into the shadowy walls, which surprisingly did not dissipate in the light.</p>
<p>"Hover."</p>
<p>The driftglobe then shot up to the ceiling.</p>
<p>"Damn fox!" shrieked the hag, who was revealed to have been standing further away from the party. She then began chanting, "Power of three, come to me, pain and suffering, released on thee!"</p>
<p>Three glowing darts of magical force appeared over her and shot straight at the monk. They struck her in the arm when she brought her arms up to shield herself.</p>
<p>Hissing in pain, she flipped to her feet and looked around. The hag was a bit too far away, so she ran over to the gargoyle that was attacking Nene and pummeled it from behind.</p>
<p>"Thanks for helping," said the bard as she focused down on the gargoyle, "Hey, you! You're as dumb as a pile of rocks."</p>
<p>All it did was snarl and continued to attack her.</p>
<p>"Eh!? But that was supposed to be a joke!" she exclaimed as she hastily dodged out of the way of its mouth and claws.</p>
<p>"But that didn't even make sense," muttered the monk as she punched downward several times, the gargoyle crumbling around her glowing tattoo.</p>
<p>"Yosh, let's help the others," encouraged Nene.</p>
<p>They split up, the bard helping the cleric and the archer while the monk heading to the succubus.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Aloe shook off the feeling of terror that continued to wash over her. The scarecrow's gaze and claws made her feel like curling up into a ball and hoping everything goes away. And she shouldn't be feeling this. She snarled at the construct as she got over it. She then gasped as a black beam slammed into her chest, courtesy of Lola. She hissed, glaring at her.</p>
<p>"Need any help?" asked Polka as she joined her side.</p>
<p>"Yeah, I have some payback I need to dish out," she growled as force darts started peppering her. She hissed in pain and suddenly ran past the scarecrow, who raked her side. She lunged and tried grabbing the hag, who shook her head while sporting a creepy grin. Suddenly, the fiend disappeared and she grabbed empty air, almost falling down on the ground before keeping her balance.</p>
<p>"Wha-?" the succubus muttered in surprise before figuring out what the hag did. She snarled out a curse in her native language and immediately jaunted to the Ethereal Plane after the hag. As the colors bled and gave way to black, white, and gray, she chased after the hag after catching sight of her skirting around the fight along the cave wall.</p>
<p>"Get back here!" she roared as she made another attempt to grab the corrupted fey.</p>
<p>"Try again, little girl," jeered Lola as she shifted back to the material plane.</p>
<p>"Damn it!" shouted the succubus in frustration as she shifted back after her.</p>
<p>As the color came back into her vision, she grinned wickedly as she spotted Polka's dart sticking out of the hag's neck. A flurry of arrows rained followed, with only one arrow striking its target. And then, something unexpected happened.</p>
<p>"Nene? What are you- no, no, no, no… AAAAAAAAAAAA-"</p>
<p>Anya's blade sank into the hag's shoulder.</p>
<p>"-AAAAHHHHHHHHHH. EW, WHY'D YOU DO THIS!?"</p>
<p>"Thanks for helping, Anya!" yelled out Aloe as she tried to grab onto anything. An arm. A leg. Anything. No purchase. She was pushed back and slammed into an uncovered wall. She was able to stop herself from going into it face first and turned back for another go. But, she didn't have to.</p>
<p>The fennec fox monk had run forward and grabbed a hold of Lola's arm, her own arm snaking around it to keep her in place. She drove her fist right into the hag's gut, causing the fiendish fey to double over.</p>
<p>"Hurry! Keep her from struggling!" called out the succubus.</p>
<p>"On it!" shouted Nene as she and Botan ran up to hold the hag down, pausing only to wrench Anya and Polka's dart out of her shoulder and neck respectively.</p>
<p>"Ew, ew, ew, why did you have to do that!?" complained the sentient dagger.</p>
<p>"She has a point," thought the succubus as she searched the hag, finding a pitch-black octahedron-shaped stone.</p>
<p>"What!? How dare you! Give it back!" shrieked the hag as she struggled to get out of their grip.</p>
<p>"If you want it back, tell us what happened to the tiefling," offered the succubus as she started throwing the stone up in the air with one hand.</p>
<p>"That is not a toy! Give that back!"</p>
<p>"First, the tiefling!" she fired back.</p>
<p>Lola growled and glowered for a few seconds before relenting loudly, "Bah! Fine!"</p>
<p>She confirmed the existence of the coven. Well, former coven. They had been trying to subvert the shrine for months. They had their minions waiting in the forest while they made their nightly visits. However, the tiefling cleric had shown up one day and somehow unearthed what they had been doing. Even after all their precautions. So one night, they had decided to send their minions in to attack them in order to draw the stronger ones out to fight while they sent others to sneak in to kill the weaker ones. At the same time, they were supposed to be waiting in the forest while they pooled their resources to blanket the place in darkness.</p>
<p>However, before they could cast the spell, they heard a loud, draconic roar. A white dragon had landed and blanketed the area in ice, freezing the defenders coming out of the shrine as well as most of the enthralled kenku. As the young-looking dragon ate its fill, it suddenly looked towards their hiding spot and a second later, she was running away, leaving her other two sisters behind. They were surely in the dragon's stomach by then. As she ran off with the rest of their forces, she could hear the dragon roaring loudly as it flew off towards the higher mountain range in the north. From afar, she could see someone clinging and hammering onto its back.</p>
<p>"Woah, Choco sounds bad-ass," spoke Polka in awe.</p>
<p>"Bah! I've told all I know. Now give back my heartstone!" said the night hag angrily.</p>
<p>"Fine. We got what we came here for," stated Aloe.</p>
<p>Then, Nene said, "I guess we can let her go now." She and Botan then released the hag and the succubus tossed the stone at her. "Let's go rescue our tiefling. I hope she's still safe," she said as she motioned the others to leave.</p>
<p>"I wish your friend dead," retorted the hag as she gathered herself together, "Leave and never return!"</p>
<p>"It's not like we want to be here, witch," the succubus retorted as the party left the cave and into the passage, the driftglobe hovering after the monk.</p>
<p>As they stepped out of the cave into the sunlight, Lamy commented, "You were quite… rough with that one, Aloe."</p>
<p>"I know," muttered the succubus, "But, that's how it is. If you don't have an advantage over people like that, you'll be backstabbed easily."</p>
<p>"Will she hold a grudge?" asked Botan.</p>
<p>"Maybe," she replied. She then shook her head and continued, "No, we have other things to worry about."</p>
<p>"Yeah. We still need to rescue Choco from a dragon," added Nene, "Let's go."</p>
<hr/>
<p>Crossing the small forest and ending up back at the shrine path, they headed in the opposite direction and found themselves at a rock cliff face that stretched out along the coast. It looked beautiful and peaceful, especially when you take a few steps back to fit the small waterfall in the view. After trying to search for a way to traverse the place, they discovered a goat's path going deep into the mountain range. It was a little unexpected but a welcome one. Even though they had to go in a single file.</p>
<p>Keeping in mind the dragon, they kept their eyes open for it, frequently looking skyward just in case. They had been walking for quite a while under the cloudy sky when they heard a roar coming from above. They looked up, the mountain blanketed in clouds. They clearly heard something roaring up there, but what?</p>
<p>"Do we climb up and check it out?" Nene asked the party.</p>
<p>"Hmm, I think we can make it? There's plenty of outcroppings for us to grab on to as we go higher," mused Botan, "I think we should try for it."</p>
<p>"Ah, if we are going to do that, we better tie this to our bodies," said Polka as she took the coiled rope from the side of her backpack, "Botan leads, then Lamy, then me, Nene, and Aloe as the last one. We won't have to worry about people falling."</p>
<p>"That is surely a good idea," agreed Lamy.</p>
<p>And so, they tied the rope to themselves according to the fennec fox girl's precautions. They tried their best to follow Botan's lead as the party climbed the mountainside. However, they weren't used to climbing mountains; the monk…</p>
<p>"Eep!"</p>
<p>"Got you! Are you alright?"</p>
<p>"Yeah. Thanks, Aloe."</p>
<p>"Yeah. Watch yourself."</p>
<p>...and the cleric…</p>
<p>"Urgh, you're heavy in your armor."</p>
<p>"...Are you trying to say something?"</p>
<p>"No, I'm not! Come on, get a grip already."</p>
<p>"Alright. Alright. There is no need to tell me twice."</p>
<p>...almost fell a few times but thankfully, the rope held and the succubus was able to swoop in to hold them up until they got a better grip. Strangely, or thankfully, there were no wyverns or griffons, heard or otherwise.</p>
<p>The higher they went, the colder. Soon, they could see the signs of snow formation. The lion girl eventually reached a mountain path that was partially snowed up. The rocky way was still visible but visible frost was slowly forming in patches.</p>
<p>"Ah, there's a path here," called out the archer to the party behind her, "We can rest here."</p>
<p>"Nice!" exclaimed the monk cheerfully.</p>
<p>As she propped herself on the edge and pushed herself in, Botan got up and pulled on the rope to help them get up faster. As she was doing so, she became distracted and not aware of her surroundings. However, she did get a whiff of something strange. The smell of rotting meat. But by then, it was too late.</p>
<p>"What!?" she shouted in surprise as she was grabbed by the waist. She glanced behind her and saw a large, horned monster covered in snow-white fur except for its angry face, clawed hands, and feet exposed. She was then lifted over its head and thrown to the ground. Thankfully, she knew how to cushion herself from a fall, but she still landed on her back.</p>
<p>However, the rest were pulled up as well when she was grabbed, while Aloe carried Nene up the rest of the way when she noticed them getting pulled up roughly. Luckily, the two that were pulled up got to their feet quickly and prepared to save their friend. The yeti took one look at them and roared loudly, beating its chest at the same time. Two more jumped down from above to join it. All three of them roared and the battle was joined.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Polka was cold. They were not as prepared for the cold. Not like the previous adventure where they went around the mountains with Kiara. The sight of snow didn't help. But, the prospect of the fight warmed her enough that she hoped that it would be a good one. Also, the fact that a yeti had taken her friend unprepared and was getting ready to kill her made her fire burn hotter.</p>
<p>As a thrown dagger sank into the yeti's shoulder from the back, she yelled as she ran through the snow, "Oi! Your fight is with me!"</p>
<p>She started pummeling several punches on its leg as it turned to roar at her. A spectral sword appeared and it moved out of the way of its swing.</p>
<p>"What!? The ice does not affect them?" she heard Lamy exclaim in disbelief.</p>
<p>The yeti in front of her then turned back to Botan. "Oi! Fight me!" the monk shouted, trying to draw its attention back to her. However, she yelled as frost suddenly spread all over her back and her legs.</p>
<p>Stumbling as she turned around, the ice on her cracking and breaking, she found a very angry yeti staring back at her. As its razor-sharp claws fell on her, she muttered, "Ah." She couldn't move… more like barely move and she wouldn't be fast enough to dodge this. She tried raising up her arms and stifled a cry of pain as its ebony claws raked over her arms, coloring the ground red. She felt something stabbing her in the stomach and saw the same claws.</p>
<p>As she fell forward, the yeti caught her. She was a little surprised, but not much emotion as she was filled with pain. She could feel herself being picked up and roughly thrown on its shoulder, causing her to groan. She could feel the yeti moving up. A loud explosion followed and she could feel tiny bits of stone showering in her face. Then, she could hear the yeti roar followed by Aloe shouting. Suddenly, she felt her body falling. She felt someone's hands brushing against her waist. More of Aloe's shouting. It was like she was floating on air. Then, she felt her body being jerked all around the place and felt arms around her waist and back.</p>
<p>It was after all that, she heard Botan ask frantically, "Polka! Polka! Are you alright!?"</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome back.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>This time, we have Aloe and Lola playing tag in the Ethereal Plane and the Material Plane</strong>
  <strong>. On the other hand, a bit unfortunate for Anya as she got night hag blood splashed on her. So much for being suddenly awoken by this travesty. So, after capturing the hag and interrogating her, they finally have the full picture. They know where to find Choco (Happy Belated Birthday to her btw). They were going to have to track down a young white dragon that had just moved in. How annoying. They ended up going down the other way and up a goat path.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>So, after some time, they started climbing up. Into an unexpected encounter. Botan is not in an advantageous position. Things are also not looking good for Polka right now. Chilling Gaze is... I am a little surprised that Polka failed her CON save. That is how the dice roll, I guess. Don't worry, Mummy Lamy is here to heal her.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, we shall follow them as they continue searching for the dragon. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0041"><h2>41. Chapter 41</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 41</p>
<p>"Polka!"</p>
<p>"Hurry, get her back!" shouted Lamy as she finished off the yeti that was trying to take out Botan. Then, she turned to handle the other yeti that she tried and failed to frost over.</p>
<p>Nene's voice rose in crescendo as her pitch went higher and higher, the mountainside beside the climbing yeti exploding and shattering, pelting its entire body with a shower of rock and debris. Yet, its grip held strong and it didn't fall, nor did it let go of the fennec fox girl.</p>
<p>"Let her go!" shouted the archer as she peppered its behind with arrows.</p>
<p>With an angry cry, Aloe shot up and went after the fleeing yeti. Slashing her claws down its back, it roared in pain as it tried to continue climbing. Then, she took her dagger and jammed it into its neck. It gurgled as blood spurted out into the air as she ripped it out, raining down into a fine red mist. As it toppled backward and let go of the monk, she tried to grab her injured friend but she wasn't fast enough.</p>
<p>"No! Polka!" she shouted in horror as she watched the limp body fall.</p>
<p>"Got her!" shouted Botan, the fennec fox girl falling neatly in her arms. Her legs almost buckled under the sudden increase of weight but she held on. Then, she asked frantically, "Polka! Polka! Are you alright!?"</p>
<p>A green glow washed over her. The lion archer looked up. The cleric was still fending off the remaining yeti, her leg bleeding a little. It was the bard that sang the healing word before she moved in the help the cleric.</p>
<p>"You can let me down now," said Polka with a grin.</p>
<p>"Ah," the archer sounded as she let her go. She then picked up her bow and started shooting again.</p>
<p>The yeti roared loudly as her arrows started punching holes in its chest. With another cry, Aloe landed on its chest feet-first and jammed her claws into its throat. As its body crashed to the ground, she pulled her hand out, splattering the ground and its fur with blood.</p>
<p>"Overkill much?" asked Botan.</p>
<p>"Eheh, no kill like overkill," stated the succubus cheekily as she sensually licked her bloodied fingers.</p>
<p>"Now, now, tone it down," chided Nene as she went over and rubbed her friend on the shoulder, Lamy frowning in the background.</p>
<p>"Can we rest a bit before we try and find Choco?" asked Polka as she rubbed her arms.</p>
<p>"Not for long," stated the cleric, still frowning a little at the succubus, "Who knows what that dragon is doing to her. I can only pray that she is still doing her best to survive."</p>
<p>"Alright, let's follow the path," suggested Nene as the archer untied the rope and returned it to the monk, "Maybe we might find a cave or opening that may lead us there."</p>
<p>They agreed and after deciding to head north, they journeyed on while keeping an eye out. Soon, they came to a small path leading up into the range while the other continued on. The snow-swept path was large enough, strangely enough, for a yeti to walk single file. Deciding to take the path, their decision was confirmed when Aloe spotted a small tuft of hair sticking on a blunted rock spike.</p>
<p>Soon, they reached a large cave, the mouth of the cave looking wide enough for a few yeti to stand next to each other with some space remaining. Stepping inside, they traversed down the cavern tunnels. They came across several branching paths. Each time, they had Polka sneak ahead to check around. A few times, they found caves where there was either a sleeping yeti or an empty cave. A few others were openings in the mountain leading to ledges where she could see the path from. It wasn't very high and the yeti could climb down a bit before jumping down. At last, they found an empty cave. The bard set up her hut spell while the rest of the party rested, taking comfort in the warmth of the interior.</p>
<p>An hour later, the tiny ht was dispelled and they continued on their way. Or they would be if Botan suddenly told them to hide. As everyone backed off from the entrance and stayed still, the archer kept her ears peeled. Seconds ticked by and she finally let out a breath of relief.</p>
<p>"I heard something walking towards us. It might have been a yeti or two," she told them before going up the short tunnel and looked around. She then turned to the rest and motioned to follow.</p>
<p>They continued on their way, making it through the tunnels. There were a few close calls and one time the lion archer wondered aloud why there were so many yeti in this place. And the tunnels are getting larger but lesser, which confused the party a little. But, their questioning looks were answered when the tunnel they were following suddenly opened up to a gigantic cavern.</p>
<p>It had several holes in the ceiling that let light stream through, all aimed to a spot further in. There were large and small stalactites scattered around the top as well as four large pillars of stone. The whole place, save for a large area around the entrance to the cavern and the ceiling, was fogged up and difficult to see through.</p>
<p>Warily, they walked up to the clear area, making sure to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary.</p>
<p>"What in the world is going on?" muttered Nene.</p>
<p>"Hmm, I do not believe we have a way to remove the fog, do we?" asked Lamy in a low tone.</p>
<p>"I don't-"</p>
<p>"Who dares to enter my lair?" asked a loud, growling voice that cut off the bard.</p>
<p>"Who's asking?" called out Polka bravely.</p>
<p>The voice chuckled and said, "Now, why should I tell my name to prey? Prey that willingly come to my lair and serve themselves to me, all ready to eat."</p>
<p>"Please, great sir. There is no need for violence," spoke up the half-snow elf, "We are here for a tiefling cleric. Have you perhaps seen her?"</p>
<p>The voice laughed and replied, "My, what polite prey you are. Friends of that other one. I was keeping her for later. So, it seems that you can join her in my larder!" It then roared loudly... like a dragon.</p>
<p>"Damn it-" muttered Aloe before muttering a curse in her tongue.</p>
<p>Lamy started chanting prayers under her breath while everyone else got ready to attack the first thing that came out of the fog. Without warning, the fog seemed to be sucked in from the northern side before a blast of freezing cold air filled with shards of ice ripped through them. Polka fell, a large ice shard piercing her stomach.</p>
<p>"There!" shouted Botan as she shot at the fog before getting behind a pillar. Her arms and legs were bleeding from multiple cuts.</p>
<p>"Avoid the center!" called out Lamy in a groan as she sent her spectral weapon into the fog and swing blindly. She then ducked behind the nearest pillar.</p>
<p>Nene went near her pillar while throwing a dagger. At the same time, Aloe dragged Polka's bleeding body to the fourth pillar, shouting, "A little help here!"</p>
<p>A loud growl was heard coming from the northern side before moving away. For a moment… silence. Then, the fog started moving again, this time from the western side.</p>
<p>"Watch-aaahh!" shrieked Nene as she got knocked over by the blast of ice when the dragon suddenly showed its head. Meanwhile, the archer, even though she was the furthest away, was also affected as her body slowly frosted over. Unable to handle the extreme cold through the wounds she got from the first breath attack, she toppled over to the side and lay still on the ground.</p>
<p>Letting out a throaty chuckle, the dragon said, "Feed me-ARGH!"</p>
<p>It suddenly roared in pain when a column of radiant fire suddenly broke through the ceiling and slammed on its back. The ones that were still standing gasped when a tiefling with ebony horns and wings stepped out of the fog from the south side. She was holding her side with one arm as she hobbled over while she hugged her shield close with the other.</p>
<p>"You!"</p>
<p>It let out another roar as the spectral sword stabbed it in the shoulder. As it retreated back into the fog, a dagger bounced off its scaly hide. However, Nene, who was healed up by Lamy's healing, was able to stab Anya into the earlier wound before she was shaken off and the young dragon disappeared into the fog.</p>
<p>"Go! Heal your friend! I got this one!" the tiefling shouted out as she moved over to Polka.</p>
<p>"Choco Yuzuki, I presume?" asked the half-snow elf as she ran over to Botan.</p>
<p>"I am," she replied as she knelt down to heal the monk of her wounds.</p>
<p>As the both of them chanted, the bard called out, "Anya! Where are you!?"</p>
<p>"Look out!"</p>
<p>"Die out, overgrown lizard!" she mocked as the succubus' thrown dagger bounced off its scaly hide again as it lunged out of the fog.</p>
<p>It grabbed the tiefling in its mouth by the waist, causing her to scream in pain. She slammed her shield into its nose and it released her. As she staggered back, she blocked its clawed hand twice, the second time causing something to crack in her arm, all the while as it shouted, "Die! Die! Die!"</p>
<p>As it gave her a hungry grin, it roared in pain as the newly recovered archer and monk dished out their revenge on its snout. At the same time, Choco called down sacred flames from the heavens, coming through the hole that her spell made. It slammed into its head, burning and searing it greatly. It let loose an agonized roar, which became even louder as Aloe's dagger finally found purchase in its eye while Nene tried mocking it again.</p>
<p>"So, you dumb lizard, how do you feel getting beaten by prey?" she insulted it.</p>
<p>As it lay bleeding on the ground, it suddenly let out a raspy chuckle, saying, "Not… leaving… alive..."</p>
<p>"Tch, all that noise was calling the yeti," growled out the lion girl as Lamy moved to the center of the clearing to start praying.</p>
<p>"Oh, my goddess. I beseech you, grant this boon to your servant," she chanted as she extended her arms to the side, palms facing up with her eyes closed, "Lend us your aid and healing to your most beautiful protectors."</p>
<p>"Very nice, Lamy!" exclaimed Polka as she moved in to stand in front of the cleric to protect her.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Botan smiled as she muttered out a chant as she nocked her arrow, the missile glowing faintly. Upon release, it surged straight at the emerging group of four yetis. It exploded the moment it bit yeti flesh with a loud crackle and boom.</p>
<p>As the two clerics sent flashes of bright light at the monsters, Nene hurriedly retrieved Anya from the dead dragon's body.</p>
<p>"Clever girl," quipped the dagger.</p>
<p>"Well, it was hiding, we needed a way to know where it is," the bard stated her reasoning as she ran to help the others.</p>
<p>The tunnel leading to the dragon's lair was not as wide, only enough for two yetis to squeeze through. The one in the front was Polka, who she was intending to help. One by one, they took out the yetis. However, after two of them were killed, the third had stepped forward and almost killed the monk.</p>
<p>"Polka!" shouted the bard in horror as another arrow burst in the middle of the remaining yetis, showering them with much force and wood splinters.</p>
<p>"None shall fall this day!" declared Choco as she raised her shield, her holy symbol glowing with power, "By the light of the moon, your wounds will be cured and your life be restored." A verdant wave of pale white akin to moonlight washed over everyone in the party.</p>
<p>With renewed vigor, they cut down the remaining two yetis. Everyone let out a sigh of relief.</p>
<p>"So, you've been looking for me?" asked the tiefling cleric as the party turned to face her.</p>
<p>"Yeah… we have," said Nene, "We can talk along the way out? We are injured and I rather get far away from this place."</p>
<p>"Ha… but with the dragon dead, we can just camp here for the rest of the day," suggested Botan with a gleam in her eye, "Plus, who knows how much stuff is here?"</p>
<p>"You just want the dragon head," accused Lamy.</p>
<p>"Er, eh heh..."</p>
<hr/>
<p>After muttering a prayer of healing for them, they explored around the lair. Or they tried. The fog seemed to be increasing, so they decided to set up camp for the night. After setting up the tiny hut, they ate what they could and went to sleep.</p>
<p>The next morning was bright and sunny, and more importantly, fog-free. They were very surprised and thankful that they didn't go into the fog to explore. A large gash in the earth almost cut the lair in two halves, leaving a short land bridge connecting the two halves. The other half had the dragon's small treasure trove. There was quite a lot for a young dragon to amass, at least from what they could see from their half. On their side was the dragon's 'larder'. Several frozen bodies of animals were around the clearing, formerly hidden in the fog.</p>
<p>"Did you wake up here?" asked Lamy, pointing at the dead bodies.</p>
<p>"No… do you see that?" replied Choco as she pointed to a set of natural stone steps leading up to an overhang.</p>
<p>"Up there?"</p>
<p>"Yeah, the dragon stored his more… human-like meals up there," she explained to the party, drawing out grimaces and frowns from the party. "We better go up there to get some disposable weapons," she then suggested, much to their confusion. "You'll see. If I guessed this correctly, we will need them," she said mysteriously as she headed up there. The party followed her without a word, wondering what she was on about.</p>
<p>They collected several worn daggers, a worn sword, and two worn maces. They carried them over the land bridge to the treasure trove. It was beautiful. The sunlight streaming through the holes in the lair bounced across the room, lighting up the diamonds, gold pieces, and silver pieces beautifully. And the majority of it was being held behind ice. Very thick ice.</p>
<p>"What..." muttered Aloe in disbelief.</p>
<p>"I knew it," stated the tiefling with a smirk, "Right, let's get started."</p>
<p>"How did you know?" asked Botan as they took a worn weapon each and started chipping at the ice.</p>
<p>"Mhm, that needs a bit of explanation," she told them as she started slamming her worn mace on the ice, "Firstly, I was with Subaru when the black dragon attacked."</p>
<p>"Eh!? You were there?" exclaimed Nene in surprise.</p>
<p>"I was," she confirmed, "It was after all that which led me to read up on dragons. I rather not get caught off-guard should I ever come across another one. Especially one that would be hunting me or whatever reason they might have. I even visited a friend of mine a few months ago to get a chance to read up more on the subject."</p>
<p>"To go to that extent is admirable, Miss Choco," stated the half-snow elf with awe.</p>
<p>"Things like this are important to know sometimes," she said humbly, "I'm just doing what you or your friends would be doing to keep yourselves safe. Now, let us focus on getting rid of this ice. I want some compensation for all the trouble that dragon put us through."</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome back.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>In this chapter, we have a few close calls. Yetis are no joke, especially when you fail the Chilling Gaze CON save. The dragon, even worse, as you will certainly get hit by the breath attack. All you can do is try to mitigate the damage. None of them have resistance against cold except Aloe. Simulating the fight was very tough on Holo5, but this is where Choco comes in. She was already quite injured when she came in but was able to swing the battle back to their favor through some difficulty.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>After that, a fight with even more yetis, but they handled this a little better since they had extra healing power backing them up. Botan might want to get a new trophy after this... but as she will find out next chapter, the dragon head is a bit too battered to be stuffed and mounted. However... she might get something else out of it. As for the others, they shall take some good stuff from the dragon hoard. the hoard is... small. This is a young white dragon after all, so whatever loot they find won't be as much as an adult dragon's hoard. Still, they will find some stuff that will be of great use to clerics as reagents.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, it's time to make their way back home. But how? Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0042"><h2>42. Chapter 42</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 42</p>
<p>After meticulously chipping the ice away, they turned up a large haul of gold pieces, silver pieces, and several diamonds of varying value. Aloe managed to sneak in the diamond she took from Spade Echo into that pile without anyone noticing. After dividing up the loot between them, with the diamonds split up between the two clerics, Botan headed straight for the dragon body. Much to their amazement, the archer borrowed Aloe's daggers and miraculously carved the dragon's body up.</p>
<p>"Woah, what are you going to do with all that?" asked Nene.</p>
<p>"Ah… I'm thinking of getting some stuff made," stated the lion girl as she struggled to try and remove the wing, unfortunately snapping the bone and breaking the wing's hide, "Ah, crap. Hng, I need to be a bit more gentle with the other wing then."</p>
<p>"We got a lot of stuff already," stated Polka, "We can use the gold we took to pay for it! Hi hi."</p>
<p>It took some time, but the archer managed to get most of the parts out of the dragon. Once she had everything packed and distributed to everyone in the party, they made their way out of the cave system. They made sure to go through as quietly but as quickly as they could. Thankfully, the place was a little emptier and they didn't have any problems leaving.</p>
<p>"So… which way do we go? Follow the path or climb down to that other path?" asked the monk as she peered over the edge, 'I'm thinking of climbing down.'</p>
<p>"It's a long way down," muttered the succubus, "Maybe… just follow the path."</p>
<p>"We still have the rope. Maybe we can risk it," said the lion girl archer.</p>
<p>"This is going to be a bit more difficult since we are carrying a lot more than before," reasoned the half-snow elf cleric, "Following the current path should be less risky."</p>
<p>"I'll go along with your decisions," added the tiefling cleric.</p>
<p>"Alright… I guess we can… climb down," decided the bard. With a grin, she explained, "We follow the same arrangement as before, with Aloe making sure we don't fall off. Miss Choco can be tied between me and Aloe."</p>
<p>"Yosh! Let's do this," cheered the fennec fox girl as she took the rope from her pack.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Things were a bit easier in some ways and more difficult in some ways. Once again, climbing was not their forte and they had to be very careful. Plus, they were carrying more stuff. However, going down is easier than going up. Plus, they had Aloe to catch or steady them should they look like they were losing their grip on the stone. It took them just as long to get down to the goat path compared to when the party was ascending yesterday. A few close calls but nothing the succubus couldn't handle.</p>
<p>"Phew… that was nerve-wracking," muttered Choco as she sat down, leaning against the mountain, "My heart is still beating very fast."</p>
<p>"I think we better take a short break to calm down, eh?" stated Nene with a grin.</p>
<p>After a few minutes, they got to their feet and headed back to the shrine. As they walked, they described what brought them to seek her out.</p>
<p>"Ah, dear Fubuki. This, I am truly grateful for," she exclaimed softly as they reached the shrine, "Also, it is good that you helped the attendants rest in peace. Thank you."</p>
<p>"It was the right thing to do," stated Lamy with a smile.</p>
<p>Then, the tiefling frowned, "Still, the night hag. Even if her coven has been taken apart, I don't feel comfortable knowing she is living nearby. I will have to get some friends and pay her a visit."</p>
<p>"Do we need to come along with you?" asked Aloe with an overly eager smile.</p>
<p>"...It's fine. I can try and contact them later," she replied. Then, she asked, "So… what brings a succubus out to the world?"</p>
<p>"It's a long story, but..." started the bard before she went in to tell the tiefling cleric about how the succubus ended up in their party. It took them quite a while, but the whole story came out as they retraced their steps back to Dusktown.</p>
<p>"Well, that was an... interesting tale," Choco said hesitantly as they walked up to the gates of the town, "I'll go check in with the mayor. Why not drop by the inn to grab something to eat?"</p>
<p>"Hmm, can we sell the dragon meat to them?" wondered Botan as the tiefling walked off.</p>
<p>"Wouldn't hurt to try. I bet they never got this kind of meat before," stated Nene as she led the party to the inn.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the owner doesn't know how to serve dragon meat. After the refusal, they decided to settle down for something to fill their stomachs.</p>
<p>"Hng… where can I sell this..." muttered the lion girl as she picked at her stew.</p>
<p>"Why not sell it to that restaurant in Rivirapolis?" suggested the fennec fox girl, "You know, the one we got the toad legs for."</p>
<p>"Oh! Nice!" exclaimed the former in surprise.</p>
<p>"Hello, how is your food?" asked the tiefling as she rejoined them.</p>
<p>"Hi! Ready to go?" greeted the bard with a wave.</p>
<p>"Yes."</p>
<p>Quickly scarfing down their food, they headed straight for the stables to hire a cart. The trip took many hours as somehow they got the cart with an old stubborn horse and shaking it awake from its narcolepsy took a long time. While they waited, they asked Choco for stories about her travels. She was a traveling herbalist and had been all over the place, from Merkath to Huan Tuo to Viridis and back again. The party was amazed by the stories; how she met with Subaru and Rushia, how she got to meet Roboco, and of a strange encounter with a sentient mimic.</p>
<p>"And it was from Lord Wilford that I got my mace," she finished her tale, patting the weapon on her belt.</p>
<p>"What does it do?" asked Lamy as she looked over the interesting-looking weapon. It had four flanges with gold trim arranged in the four cardinal directions, a symbol of the sun on top of the head, and a symbol of the moon at the center of the head.</p>
<p>"The ultimate weapon against fiends and undead," declared the tiefling with a smile.</p>
<p>"No wonder it feels prickly," shuddered Aloe, who had opted to sit far away from the tiefling.</p>
<p>"I wonder what the hero was like?" wondered Nene.</p>
<p>"Subaru?" asked the tiefling cleric with a chuckle, "A humble girl who wanted to explore the world. It was a joy to look at her amazement and wonder every time she visited a new place. She made a lot of new friends too." Then, she sighed, "In the end, after the dragon battle, she felt tired and decided to go back home. Funny, she never intended to become known as a hero but she became one anyway."</p>
<p>"Hey, Nene. If you want to talk to her, maybe we can find out where she is and we can go together," spoke up a grinning Polka.</p>
<p>"If you want, you can follow me there," offered Choco.</p>
<p>"EH!?"</p>
<p>"After I meet Fubuki and settle some affairs, I'll be going to visit her," she explained.</p>
<p>"Yes!" said the bard eagerly.</p>
<p>The tiefling just laughed, "Alright, I'll find you at the guild house after a few days."</p>
<p>It was at this moment that another cart was nearing them. As the two came close, one could hear bickering voices in the opposite cart. Choco raised a brow when she saw the two passengers.</p>
<p>"Stop arguing! Maybe you'd be paid better," she called out. The bickering voices stopped in surprise.</p>
<p>"Hi! It's been a long time, hasn't it," exclaimed the one with white hair, She wore a witch's hat and purple dress with a short skirt and a midriff window.</p>
<p>"Huh, we actually agree on something for once," muttered the other with purple hair with blue highlights worn in twin, spiral ponytails tied with blue ribbon. It was reminiscent of an onion. She wore leather armor with dark-blue highlights.</p>
<p>The tiefling cleric chuckled and replied, "Good to see you too, Shion, Aqua. I see Roboco hired you. Glad to see she has good help."</p>
<p>"Yup! Wish us luck!" the former said cheerfully.</p>
<p>"I'll say. You better not mess up like last time," snarked the latter.</p>
<p>"You shut up! It wasn't me that..."</p>
<p>And the duo went back to bickering as the carts pulled away from each other. The tiefling just chuckled and said, "I pity their driver. I sure hope Roboco knows how to manage them properly."</p>
<p>"Do you know them?" asked Nene curiously.</p>
<p>"Ah-ha, I do. It was when I was roaming around with Subaru," she replied, and that went into the story about the search for Ayame's swords.</p>
<p>By the time they reached the city, it was already twilight. After saying goodbye to the tiefling, they headed straight for the guild house. After waiting patiently for Lamy to write up the report, they went to relax at Robel.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The next few days, they took it easy while waiting for Choco to show up. Polka made another batch of her alcohol. Then, she spent most of her time trying to learn how to juggle from Camryn with a bit of monastic training on the side with Lord Aruran. Aloe mentioned wanting to learn how to fight with a dagger, so she and Nene decided to ask Yogiri to teach them. They had to pay for it but after it was done, the succubus was happy with the results. Lamy made a donation to the temple and then went around with Botan to help her to haggle prices for the dragon parts. They went to several places, a different place every day.</p>
<p>First, they stopped by the blacksmith to sell off the fangs and the claws. Then, they went to the leatherworkers next door. The archer commissioned a set of armor and a cloak from the dragon scale hide and wings.</p>
<p>"Are you making those for someone?" asked the half-snow elf after they left. They took quite a while to set the price since it required both the leatherworker and the blacksmith to craft the armor she requested.</p>
<p>"Well, I want to go home and visit the tribe one of these days," she admitted with a slight smile, "They are a gift for my family. Imagine getting something made from dragons. I'd like to think my parents and my tribe will be proud of me."</p>
<p>The next day, they stopped by the fancy restaurant to sell off the dragon meat. The chef there was extremely happy to be able to work on dragon meat again. Another delicacy for them to prepare. They were then offered a chance to sample the dish for dinner. Just the dish. Drinks still need to be paid for. They accepted. Lamy had fancy clothes but Botan didn't, so Nene lent her glamoured armor to her. The dish was delicious. They polished off one bottle of fine wine. The half-snow elf bought two more and brought it back with her.</p>
<p>"That's a lot of wine," commented the lion girl as they walked back to the guild house.</p>
<p>"Hu, hu, it tasted delicious and complimented the dish well," stated the half-snow elf with a red face, "I will definitely be drinking it a bit more when we get back."</p>
<p>"Just don't let it go overboard," chided the former, "I rather not come into your room and suddenly find you face-first in a pool of wine."</p>
<p>"Shush! I am not so crass as to do that," the latter retorted with a pout as she leaned onto the other's shoulder.</p>
<p>"Huh, forward," muttered the lion girl.</p>
<p>"Hush, you."</p>
<p>On the third easy day, they went to do their own thing. Lamy went to spend time at the healing temple. Botan went to visit Risu and Baloo. After that, she went to check up on Temma and the griffon, who he had named Haruto.</p>
<p>"He's looking healthy," she commented as the young griffon peeked out from under a blanket.</p>
<p>The knight chuckled and said, "Yes, he is. I try to take Svasdir's advice to heart. I spend most of my time with him. In return, I am restricted to easier requests for the time being, as is my team."</p>
<p>"Maybe they can do other stuff with other teams," she suggested.</p>
<p>"I know. I suggested that myself," he replied with a smile, "So far, they have been doing alright." He then picked up the warbling young griffon out of its pile of blankets.</p>
<p>"Well, I'll leave you two to it. Goodbye, Haruto," she said as she gave the little monster a few pats.</p>
<hr/>
<p>On the morning of the fourth day, they met up with Fubuki and Choco at the guild house.</p>
<p>"Hello, friends! Thank you for rescuing Choco," the fox girl said as she bowed with a smile.</p>
<p>"Ah, no problem. We were glad to help," replied Nene, the party mirroring her smile.</p>
<p>"As expected of the up-and-coming team in the guild," quipped Miyabi proudly.</p>
<p>"Are they now?" said the tiefling with an appraising eye, "That's quite impressive."</p>
<p>"Hi, hi, it's nothing, really," stated the bard bashfully, "We are just doing what we should, that's all."</p>
<p>"Indeed, it was simply the right thing to do," spoke up Lamy.</p>
<p>"Too bad we didn't get the dragon head," muttered Botan to herself, and she got elbowed in the sides by Polka and the half-snow elf.</p>
<p>"Humble as well. Cute," the tiefling cleric continued, "Anyway, I believe I offered a spot with me to visit a good friend of mine."</p>
<p>"Yeah. Nene would really like that," quipped Aloe with a teasing grin, "I mean, she got to meet that bard group the other day. Meeting a hero would be another thing off her list."</p>
<p>"Hey, stop saying such things," retorted the bard, already bright red with embarrassment.</p>
<p>"Alright, alright, no need to bicker like Shion and Aqua now," chided Choco to calm them down. Turning to Fubuki, "Well, thank you for having me. I shall see you next time."</p>
<p>"It was my pleasure, friend Choco," replied the snow-white fox girl as she bowed.</p>
<p>"Right, everyone needs to have some packing to do," announced the tiefling as she focused on them, her friend leaving the guild house, "Make all the preparations you need. We will be leaving tomorrow morning. Meet me at the school for further instructions."</p>
<p>"Eh? Why the school?" asked Polka, speaking for the party's confusion.</p>
<p>"Ah, ah, ah, now that would be telling," she stated with a wink before she upped and left the guild house as well.</p>
<p>The party looked at each other for a moment.</p>
<p>"Well, let's get on restocking our stuff," stated Botan, "We have a lot to do."</p>
<p>They went to the general store, followed by the herbalist. Rations. Healing Potions. A bedroll for Aloe. More darts for Polka. Then, they went to the hunting shop and tannery to get more arrows for Botan. After that, to the blacksmith to sell off Lamy's old shield.</p>
<p>"Ah, there you are," the grizzled man said, "Your stuff is done, lion girl."</p>
<p>"Oh, you mean from next door?" she asked excitedly.</p>
<p>"Aye, my brother's done with it," he confirmed as he began to ramble, "I shaped the metal pieces myself before I handed it off to him. He looked like you right now. Heh, such rare material like that. I think the only time we got to work on such things was after the black dragon died. The few smiths around the city got together to make something out of its corpse for the king. Heh, wanted to give it to the hero but she declined. Oh, well. Make what you will of it."</p>
<p>"Thank you for telling such a tale, sir," thanked the bard as the party moved on next door.</p>
<p>"Haha, any time, girly. Any time," replied the blacksmith as he waved them goodbye.</p>
<p>"Welcome! Welcome!" greeted the leatherworker happily as they entered his shop.</p>
<p>"Er, hi?" said Botan in surprise.</p>
<p>"Thank you for the chance to work with such rare materials," exclaimed the smith's brother with a grin, "Here, take a look." He placed the two items on the counter.</p>
<p>The armor was a set consisting of a coat and leggings made of the white dragonhide. Large steel plates in the shape of scales were sewn around the outside of the coat, mimicking dragon scales. Over the left shoulder was a single metal pauldron of gleaming steel.</p>
<p>The cloak was made of white dragonhide taken from one of the wings. It was elegant and beautiful, the skin seemingly glittering as the sunbeams bounced off the tiny scales on the hide.</p>
<p>"Woah, cool!" exclaimed Polka in awe.</p>
<p>"Huh, such wonderful craftsmanship," stated Lamy with approval.</p>
<p>The lion girl had the biggest grin ever.</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome back.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>In this chapter, the whole party gets lots of loot. Silver and gold. Trinkets and baubles. Paid for in blood. Wait, this isn't Darkest Dungeon</strong>
  <strong>. Anyway, time for them to backtrack down the mountain and back to Dusktown. They take a cart back. Bump into Shion and Aqua, who still argue a lot and yet are a very effective duo. When they get back, some of the loot gets sold. Stuff gets commissioned to be made, mostly from Botan's point of view. Interesting stuff while she goes around with Lamy. Anyway, the next idea for a mini-arc. Holo5 visits Subaru to see how she is doing.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, we visit Subaru and find out what happened to her after the events of Wanderlust. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0043"><h2>43. Chapter 43</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 43</p>
<p>The party meets up at the school the next day. Choco was awaiting them at the entrance.</p>
<p>"Good morning," greeted the tiefling, "Is everyone ready?"</p>
<p>"As we'll ever be," replied Nene with a smile.</p>
<p>"Alright, let's go then," she said as she led the way in.</p>
<p>She led them straight to the dungeon level, where Master Conjurer Hirto was awaiting them with a teleportation circle. She then handed a bag of gold to the smiling wizard.</p>
<p>"Thank you for your donation, Miss Choco," he thanked her as he slipped the bag into his robes.</p>
<p>Nodding, she turned to the others as he started casting the spell and said, "Alright, we are heading straight for Huan Tuo and catch a boat to a little town called Isshoudai. That's where she lives, by the way."</p>
<p>"Is that where you met her?" asked the bard.</p>
<p>She chuckled a little and replied, "Ah… the town was a little way out, you see. They rarely get any visitors save for the supply ships. I think the last time I was there, I saw some smaller trade ships there as well. Anyway, I was there to look for new kinds of herbs that I might be able to use. No such luck. The town has never seen a tiefling before and thought I was a demon. I ran away onto the ship I had a ticket for and somehow got onto the same ship as hers. Keep in mind, this was the very first time she left her small port town. So-"</p>
<p>"It is done," announced the wizard. A shimmering blue portal was in the center of the circle.</p>
<p>"Thank you, master conjurer," she stated before turning to the others, "Let's go."</p>
<p>The portal led to a medium-sized room. A wizened old man grumbled a little as they stepped out of it, "More of Hirto's customers I see."</p>
<p>"Good to see you too, master enchanter," greeted Choco politely.</p>
<p>The old man harrumphed and waved them away. They exited the shop to a bustling port. Huan Tuo's market was in full swing, though it was close to a time where it should be dwindling down and closing up. The tiefling then asked them to wait for her as she went to buy tickets from the harbormaster's office.</p>
<p>"You look very eager," commented Lamy as she glanced over to the bard.</p>
<p>"We are going to meet the Smiter of Fear, the black dragon slayer. How can I not?" Nene stated excitedly.</p>
<p>"Hmm, who is she talking to?" asked Botan as she noticed the tiefling cleric walking and talking with someone. The newcomer had blonde hair styled in twin ponytails that trail from the back of her head and green eyes. Clad in studded leather that had fine black engravings along the trimming and a red heart patch over the left side of her chest, she had a rapier hanging from her belt.</p>
<p>"I'm just saying... when you're starving, anything would taste appetizing," she stated with finality.</p>
<p>"And yet you are asking your servants to fry scorpions and spiders as snacks for you. When you are not in want for anything. Don't you see how… weird and scary it would seem to other people," chided Choco.</p>
<p>"Nothing wrong with trying something new," she defended her stand.</p>
<p>"Hello! Who's this?" called out Polka with a wave.</p>
<p>The tiefling sighed and said, "This… is Haato Akai of the Red Hearts mercenary group. One of the first people who met us after we came to the town."</p>
<p>"Hello," she greeted as she waved.</p>
<p>"Ooh, do you have any stories about Subaru?" asked the bard immediately.</p>
<p>"You can ask her when we get back," said the tiefling cleric as she tapped the bard's head, "Our boat is leaving soon. Let's go or you'll miss your chance."</p>
<p>Saying their goodbyes, they headed straight for the boat.</p>
<hr/>
<p>During their journey, Choco regaled them with other stories of her travels with Subaru. Fighting giant scorpions. Fighting bandits with rabbit girls and crazy pink warlocks. Exploring ruins and stuffing lichs into flasks. Finding Rushia and her first-time greetings to Subaru. She was busy talking about finding Roboco by the roadside when the captain of the ship let them know that they were docking at the harbor.</p>
<p>The group walked down the harbor into the town, surprised by the busy town. It was not as packed as Huan Tuo would be, but there were still plenty of people walking around, visiting shops and the like. One of the buildings seemed to be busier than the others and the tiefling led them there. They waited outside for a while before a table was free. As they sat down, a waiter came up to take their order for food. After he went, a waitress came to serve them tea.</p>
<p>"Huh? This is a first," muttered Botan in surprise.</p>
<p>"Hng… no ale?" asked Lamy softly, a bit taken aback.</p>
<p>"This is a teahouse and inn, not a tavern, my dear girl," spoke up a motherly voice, "Besides, it isn't night time just yet."</p>
<p>Grinning, Choco got to her feet and greeted, "Mio! Nice to see you again!"</p>
<p>"Oh, you again? Are you here to break another of my doors down?" the wolf lady asked, matching her friend's grin as the both of them hugged.</p>
<p>"You'll never let that go, will you?" the former teased as she let go. Turning to the party, she stated, "Everyone, this is Mio, owner of the Jolly Tuna and used to travel with me and Subaru."</p>
<p>"Woah..." sounded Nene in awe.</p>
<p>The wolf lady laughed and said, "It wasn't very long. But, she is a good girl, for the short time I've been with them." She then looked around and hummed, "I think… right, why not all of you stay for the night? I have enough rooms to put you in for a few days."</p>
<p>"Oh, you're too kind, Miss Mio," stated the bard with a smile, "We accept."</p>
<p>The owner of the teahouse laughed again and replied, "Then it's settled. I'll take your particulars down when you've finished your food. Oh, and sometimes, Subaru would stop by after her guard shift ends before she goes home for the night, so you might bump into her."</p>
<p>"Truly!?" exclaimed Nene eagerly, "Sounds wonderful."</p>
<p>"Hey, calm down, or you'll scare your hero away," teased Aloe with a grin.</p>
<p>"Nah, she wouldn't," disagreed Botan with a smirk, "If Subaru does show up, she'd more likely be speechless and go all blushy-blushy."</p>
<p>"Alright, alright, enough with the teasing," chided Lamy, "She will be fine."</p>
<p>"...Yeah, I'll be fine," the bard agreed after a pause, "I just need to do things… calmly. Yeah, that."</p>
<p>"Well, I suppose I shall let you be for now," stated Mio as the dishes started coming in, "Do send someone to the counter to register the six of you." Then, she bowed a little before leaving them.</p>
<p>The dishes served at the teahouse were mainly seafood. On the table itself were two fish dishes and one shrimp dish. There was also a vegetable dish and an egg dish. Asking Choco about this, she explained that local vegetables were grown in personal plots around the town with excess being sold to the teahouse while other produce was brought in by supply ships. Then, she continued with more tales about her travels with Subaru. Meeting Aki. Taking out bandits that were threatening Dusktown. Discovering why Roboco was the way she was. Meeting Shion, Aqua, and later on, a half-oni named Ayame. Getting Ayame's swords back. As the food on the table slowly dwindled down to scraps, the tiefling stood up.</p>
<p>"Well, I need to go now," she told them, "Originally, I came here to search for new herbs and I intend to do this as soon as possible."</p>
<p>Saying their goodbyes, she left the teahouse, but not before bumping into someone outside. Polka could hear them from inside.</p>
<p>"Woah, Choco, good to see you again! Going up the mountains again?"</p>
<p>"Same here. Yes, I am. I have yet to see the whole place. Who knows what I could find? Oh, hello, Ayame."</p>
<p>"Hello. How about I accompany you? I'm searching for something in the mountains too."</p>
<p>"Eh? What about your dinner?"</p>
<p>"Haha, I still have my rations. I'm sure I'll be able to survive out there with Miss Choco's help."</p>
<p>"Well, I won't turn down some company. Let's be off then."</p>
<p>"See you two later then."</p>
<p>"Bye. Good to see you again, Subaru."</p>
<p>The fennec fox girl's ears shot up the moment she heard that name. "Hey, Nene," she said as she nudged the bard in the ribs, "I think your hero is here."</p>
<p>The lore bard immediately got to her feet and looked at the entrance. A short-haired young lady clad in a well-made leather shirt with some gleaming chain-link rings peeking out from the edges. Her guard uniform was worn over it. A sword with beautiful engravings on its guard and its sheath hung from her belt and a shield was strapped to her back. She headed straight for the counter manned by Mio and chatted with her.</p>
<p>The bard sat down, her nervousness coming out in full force. Palms were sweaty, knees weak, and arms heavy.</p>
<p>"Hello! I heard you're looking for me," greeted tomboy cheerfully as she stepped up to their table.</p>
<p>"Ah! The Smiter of Fear!" exclaimed Nene the moment she heard her.</p>
<p>Subaru blinked. "Eh? Who's that?" she asked in confusion.</p>
<p>Silence.</p>
<p>"Er, that's what they call you," stated Botan, the first to speak.</p>
<p>The guard blinked and then scrunched up her face, trying to figure out what they were talking about. Eventually, as if a lightbulb went off, she said, "Oh, you mean those villages north of Port Viridis?"</p>
<p>"...Not sure? I do not think we ever went to Port Viridis," replied Lamy.</p>
<p>"Well, that's where we fought that fear demon all that time ago," the tomboy explained before she shrugged, "Oh well, I'm just surprised that they still remember me."</p>
<p>"But you led the party that slew the dragon," quipped up Polka in surprise.</p>
<p>The former then frowned, "Honestly, I barely did anything. Rushia did more than me in the fight. I just helped to protect her."</p>
<p>"...Oh," murmured the lore bard, "The stories always said differently."</p>
<p>"Ha, so I'm the one that killed the dragon?" asked Subaru as her brow scrunched up, "Eh, never mind that. All those stories don't really matter to me. I was just a girl who wanted to see the world. I never intended to become a hero." She sighed and continued, "I met so many people and became friends with a lot of them. Some of them even visit me from time to time. I pray that the ones that don't are doing well."</p>
<p>"Well… can you tell me your story? Where you went? What you fought and seen?" asked Nene, her eagerness started to rise up again.</p>
<p>The guard chuckled and replied, "Sure. I don't mind."</p>
<hr/>
<p>The next morning was a welcome thing after the previous night. It was quite eventful for Nene. Getting a retelling of Subaru's travels from the person herself was exciting. Traveling through the swamp with Matsuri and Fubuki. Going through the network of villages. Hunting and being hunted by the fear demon. Meeting Flare and Noel and the events leading up to that. Getting tricked by Marine. The were-people village. Around that time, the teahouse portion of the building had closed down and she had to go back home. She promised to continue her tale the next day.</p>
<p>So, it was expected to have a very excited and happy Nene who was quite eager to listen to the tale of Subaru the adventurer rather than Subaru the Smiter of Fear. Perhaps she could put all this down to writing. Maybe sell it. Maybe…</p>
<p>"You seem to be happy this morning," stated Mio, her kind voice derailing the bard's thoughts.</p>
<p>"Erm, ah-ha, sorry. I was just thinking back to what I heard last night," she stated with a sheepish laugh.</p>
<p>"Ah, sounds nice," the wolf lady replied with a smile, "Where did she leave off?"</p>
<p>"Oh, at… the journey back to the capital. After the were-people village," she told the innkeeper.</p>
<p>"Ah, that… hmm, since there aren't that many people here right now, I think I can continue that. I heard everything from her, you know?" the former disclosed with a wink.</p>
<p>And so, the bard got another earful of stories as the others woke up, came downstairs, and slowly sat at the table she was sitting at. Going to the kobold base and rescuing Towa. Escaping and ending up in Merkath. Meeting with the mimic on the way back to the capital again, which Nene mentioned they heard before from Choco. However, by that time, there were more people at the teahouse and Mio had to step away to manage the place.</p>
<p>"Wow, that was amazing to listen to," stated Nene with a satisfied sigh.</p>
<p>"Huh, never knew Towa was like that," said Aloe with a smirk, "This is some good blackmail."</p>
<p>"Is it possible to meet Lord Wilford, I wonder..." mused Polka with a starry glimmer in her eyes.</p>
<p>"You want mimics in your circus?" asked Botan.</p>
<p>"Yup!"</p>
<p>"I find myself curious as well," added Lamy in thought, "Maybe we can try when we get back."</p>
<p>It was then Subaru came in. The guard went up to the counter and started talking to Mio in low voices. Curious, the party got up and approached them.</p>
<p>"Is something wrong?" asked the lore bard.</p>
<p>The two at each other and then at the party. The tomboy sighed and told them, "Follow me please."</p>
<p>The party and surprisingly, the innkeeper, followed her to the harbor. As they walked, she explained, "We have fish people at the docks, threatening the town with raids if we don't meet their demands."</p>
<p>The old harbormaster and several guards were standing at the pier, staring at something. The five were startled by the three figures at the end of the pier. Three sahuagin stood there, scowling at the sailors that were managing the docked ships. Two were warriors; more muscular and were armed with spears. They were quite protective of the other one, who wore a striking purple robe and a coral necklace with a roughly carved-out shark. It was also the only one with a yellow frill on its tail.</p>
<p>"So, you wish to fight against us? Chosen of He Who Hunts?" snarled the robed sahuagin.</p>
<p>"We never even agreed to this," retorted Subaru, "If you wish to try and raid my town, be my guest. We'll be sure to send all of you running."</p>
<p>"You dare challenge the chosen people of He Who Hunts?" rasped out the robed one with a toothy smile and they cackled amusedly, "We'll be sure to shower your streets with blood."</p>
<p>"Hey, this town is protected by another power," shouted out Nene suddenly.</p>
<p>"Oh, pray tell, who? What lies will you spout out to run away from us?" they sneered.</p>
<p>"Urm… did that seaweed man ever tell us who he follows?" the lore bard asked as she turned to her friends.</p>
<p>Polka blinked at her in disbelief. Botan and Lamy looked at her incredulously, not believing she just said that. Aloe slapped her hand to her face while groaning.</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"I expected Polka to pull this kind of thing, not you," deadpanned the succubus.</p>
<p>"Hey!"</p>
<p>The robed one cackled, "Lies, lies, lie all you want. All useless. You will-"</p>
<p>"Oh, great merciful goddess, bring my guardian to life," the others heard Mio muttering, "Awaken, Hatotaurus!"</p>
<p>A shimmering outline shone into existence above her, forming a ten-foot-tall humanoid shape. As it formed and filled out, it crossed its beefy arms and glared at the sahuagin with its gleaming red eyes. It had the head of a pigeon with goat-like horns, the body of a minotaur, and the legs and tail of a wolf.</p>
<p>Shocked, the sahuagin took a few steps back as they stared at the large amalgamation. They then glared at the group at the pier, the robed one saying, "This is not over." The trio turned around and dived into the sea.</p>
<p>"Mio, did you always have this… thing?" asked Subaru as the others turned to look at the innkeeper and her… summon.</p>
<p>"Ah, I always had him," the wolf lady said mysteriously with a nod and a smile.</p>
<p>"Oh well, that almost got out of hand," stated the guard as she turned to the party, "So... who is this seaweed man you're talking about, and do I need to be worried about it?"</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome back.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Once more, we intrude in the enchanter's shop thanks to Master Hirto</strong>
  <strong>. Nice old guy. 'Nice' old guy. Then they bump into Haato. Or is it Haachama these days? Who knows? Eating scorpions and spiders will do that to you. Anyway, we journey all the way to Isshoudai with Holo5 and Choco-sensei. There, they meet Mio. More stories ensue until Subaru shows up. Surprise, surprise, Ayame is here too! Now, she is there for her own thing, namely looking for new challenges and checking up on Subaru. A night and a day go on. Strange visitors appear the next day. No, there won't be any fights going on. This will be... a lot of talking before they get dragged into the next arc.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, we find out how the Holo5 solves this little trouble. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>PS: AWAKEN, HATOTAURUS!</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>AYAYAYYYYYY</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0044"><h2>44. Chapter 44</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 44</p>
<p>"I see," muttered Subaru as she got the story out of the party, "He might be some sort of priest of some sea god."</p>
<p>"Ah, makes sense," agreed Botan.</p>
<p>"But, what do we do about those sahuagin?" asked Lamy with concern in her voice, "I highly doubt they will be willing to let this go."</p>
<p>"Hmm, where is the island of Colch from here?" asked Nene suddenly.</p>
<p>"Don't know, but I can ask Old Man Saru if you'd like," suggested the guard.</p>
<p>"The harbormaster," explained Mio to the confused faces of the party.</p>
<p>After sounding off their understanding and agreeing with the suggestion, Subaru went to talk with the old man.</p>
<p>"Why did you ask that, Nene?" asked Polka.</p>
<p>"I was thinking that… maybe we can get Doris to help out," explained the lore bard, "That way, they can extend their protection to this island as well."</p>
<p>"But will we have time to leave the town to ask for help?" asked the half-snow elf, "We won't know if they are going to attack or not."</p>
<p>"Maybe we can… split up?" suggested Aloe, "Nene and one more can go to Colch to try and make contact with Doris or someone who can help to figure out if this island is within its borders. The rest can help keep watch or even help to improve its defenses."</p>
<p>"I am surprised that you would even think that through," stated Lamy in shock.</p>
<p>"Hey! I can think up good stuff too," the succubus retorted with a frown.</p>
<p>"Alright, calm down," chided the bard, "So, if I'm the one going to ask for help, who's going with me?"</p>
<p>"I shall join you," declared the half-snow elf.</p>
<p>"Hmm, if Lamy and Nene are going, I guess we have to keep our eyes peeled to the sea and the surroundings," mused Botan, "I guess we can take turns to keep watch."</p>
<p>"I guess I'm the eye in the sky again," muttered the succubus.</p>
<p>"Like I said, we will take turns," assured the archer.</p>
<p>"Alright, Old Saru says that Colch is about three-thirds of a day from here," stated Subaru as she rejoined them and they proceeded to fill her in on their plan. "Oh, in that case, we can ask Old Man Saru and see if anyone can bring you there."</p>
<hr/>
<p>After making arrangements, Nene and Lamy were on their way to Colch Island in a fisherman's boat. By the time they reached the island, it was nightfall and they had to check into the inn. Thankfully, they were recognized and allowed to use their former room at a discount. The next day, they got one of the mermen to deliver an urgent message from the island down to the underwater palace.</p>
<p>As they waited at the pier, the bard mentioned, "You know, I was feeling a little inspired by the stories I've been hearing about Subaru. I've been trying to make up a new song to channel the fear that Subaru's party must have felt when fighting that demon."</p>
<p>"Oh? That sounds interesting. Can I hear it?" asked the half-snow elf in admiration.</p>
<p>"Okay. No melody yet but I have the words out," she stated as she repeated the words she had written down in her mind, "Welcome to your silent tomb, Where all your darkest fears are gonna come for you, Come for you."</p>
<p>"Oh… sounds creepy. It fits," commented the cleric.</p>
<p>"Hi, hi, thanks," said the bard with a smile.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Meanwhile, in Isshoudai, arrangements were made to keep an eye seaward. While Subaru and Botan took the day shift of keeping an eye on the sea, Aloe, Polka, and Mio took over the watch shift during nighttime. So far, nothing out of the ordinary happened, something that they were thankful for. The next day, they were ecstatic when Choco and Ayame returned from their exploration. Everyone gathered at the teahouse for breakfast.</p>
<p>"Really? Sometimes, I think things just happen around you, Subaru," the tiefling teased after they got filled in with what happened yesterday.</p>
<p>"Hey! Things have been quiet the past year, so that's wrong," the guard protested while the others giggled.</p>
<p>"Well, so far, we haven't seen anything out of the ordinary," said the archer as she tried to get everything back on track.</p>
<p>"I hope it stays that way," the guard muttered.</p>
<p>"Hmm, makes me wonder why they are making a move," stated the half-oni samurai, "Then again, your town is doing well for itself."</p>
<p>"Ha, anyway, let's get back to keeping watch," decided Subaru as she got up from the table, "You can join us, Ayame, while Choco can join the night shift. Hopefully, nothing happens again today."</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Hi!"</p>
<p>Lamy and Nene almost jumped out of their armor when a familiar shark triton suddenly shot out of the water and landed in front of them.</p>
<p>"What!?" they exclaimed in surprise.</p>
<p>"Hi, nice to meet again," greeted Gura with a cheeky smile.</p>
<p>"Ah… while it's nice to see you again… erm, do you have a message for us?" asked the lore bard.</p>
<p>"Yup!" she replied.</p>
<p>Silence.</p>
<p>"And what is the message?" asked the cleric.</p>
<p>"The island is halfway," started the tracker. She proceeded to explain that the island Isshoudai was on technically was right on the border of their territory. However, the seas beyond was a place the tritons refused to go through.</p>
<p>"Strange. What do they say about the place?" asked Nene.</p>
<p>"People say big evil squid live there," replied Gura with a shrug, "Don't know if that true or not. Never been there before."</p>
<p>"What about the sahuagin?" questioned Lamy.</p>
<p>"Ah, Princess says that they are suspicious," stated the tracker, "Hard to believe sahuagin go all the way there outside their territory. But when shark priest is mentioned, it became more suspicious. Unheard off to have territory in evil squid place."</p>
<p>"Hmm… that actually gives me an idea..." muttered the bard with a grin, "We can have someone pretend to be the seaweed priest who follows some sea god. Since it is near this evil squid place, a priest of the squid."</p>
<p>"Again, I expected this from Polka, not you," spoke up the cleric in deadpan.</p>
<p>"Hey!"</p>
<p>"Can I come too?" the shark triton asked.</p>
<p>"Hmm?" sounded the both of them.</p>
<p>"Princess says I can help set up outpost near island, so no need for pretending. Others will come and take turns patrolling," she explained, "Also learn to speak better Common."</p>
<p>"Good idea. Sure you can come with us," replied Nene with a smile.</p>
<p>"Yay!"</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Still nothing?" asked Choco as they reconvened at the teahouse in the evening. Mio had closed early that day to try and get some sleep before night watch.</p>
<p>"No," confirmed Subaru as she sat down at the table with a sigh, "Funny, waiting for a fight is way more stressful than getting into one."</p>
<p>Botan and Ayame groaned and nodded in agreement.</p>
<p>"Don't worry," said Polka, trying to cheer them up as she tried juggling with the teacups, "Nene and Lamy will be back with good news. I'm sure of it."</p>
<p>"Can you not play around with the cups?" asked Aloe with a bored tone, "You'll get into trouble..."</p>
<p>"I'm good at this, okay?" retorted the monk. With a flourish, she caught the first two and the last one landed on her outstretched foot. "Ta-dah!" she exclaimed with a grin.</p>
<p>"And now you need to wash it," snarked the succubus.</p>
<p>"Eh?"</p>
<p>"Yes, you are going to wash it," said the tiefling as she cuffed the fennec fox girl by the ear and dragged her to the kitchen. The half-oni giggled tiredly.</p>
<p>"Hng, I guess I'll go home. Hopefully, nothing happens tonight," spoke up the guard as she stood up, "At least I get to eat Mama's home-cooked food."</p>
<p>After wishing her goodbye, the rest waited around for Mio to show up again. The wolf lady walked down the stairs mid-yawn and looked at them. She blinked and blushed, hurrying on her way to the kitchen. Choco and Polka were kicked out post-haste and soon the sound of cooking could be heard. Half an hour later, piping hot food was served.</p>
<p>"Wah! Nice!" exclaimed the monk as she dug in.</p>
<p>"Well, dig in everyone," encouraged the innkeeper, "You'll need a lot of energy for tonight."</p>
<p>"Thank you for the food," said the rest as they dug in as well.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The boat came to moor at the pier that evening, very close to nighttime. Nene and Lamy got out while Gura clambered onto the pier with her trident in tow.</p>
<p>"Hello, welcome back," greeted Mio as both sides waved at each other.</p>
<p>"We have good news," stated the bard with a smile as Lamy thanked the fisherman for help and gave him a few silver coins as a reward. She then waved Gura over and said, "So this is Gura. She is the first one here, but a few other tritons will be here as well to help with patrolling around the island and the surrounding sea."</p>
<p>"Hi! I'm Gura. I follow Shaaaak," greeted the shark triton as she introduced herself.</p>
<p>"Well, what a cute shark you are," stated the wolf lady as she rubbed the tracker's head, who was squirming happily under the head pats.</p>
<p>"Anyhow, please rest up at the inn. I'm sure it has been a tiring day," she invited as she gestured them to head there,</p>
<p>"Thanks, Mio," said the lore bard as they headed towards the inn.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Gura waved at the wolf lady and dived back into the sea. Swimming a bit off and deciding on a flat area with a minor coral formation, she starts marking the place. Then, the coral shapers can grow a shelter with the growing coral as a base. Having done her part, she went to the surface once more and climbed onto the pier again.</p>
<p>"Welcome back, little one," greeted Mio, who then gave the young shark triton directions to her teahouse and inn.</p>
<p>Thanking her for the help, the shark triton headed there straight away, her seaweed sole wraps squelching as she walked. At the entrance, she found three other people in bedrolls, two of them she recognized. Wondering what they were doing there, she stepped into the teahouse section of the building. There, she found her two companions busily eating cooked fish. Curious, she sat at the table and the cleric served her a bit of fish. Taking a nibble, she gasped and devoured the whole serving.</p>
<p>Giggling, the bard said, "First time?"</p>
<p>The tracker nodded rapidly and said, "Can have some more?"</p>
<p>Now laughing, she replied, "Sure." And gave her another serving.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The next day, they reconvened at the teahouse with the rest of the party overjoyed to see Gura again.</p>
<p>"Alright, since the tritons are sending some help, I think we can relax a bit now," stated Subaru with a relieved look, "Thanks for your help, Nene, Lamy."</p>
<p>"We're glad to help," replied the bard with a grin, the half-snow elf nodded in agreement.</p>
<p>"Hey, Choco. Remember that place we found here?" asked Ayame.</p>
<p>"What place?" asked Polka.</p>
<p>"Oh… you see, we came across a strange stone structure built into the hill," explained the tiefling as she munched on her bread bun, "It looked like the front door was sealed up. And before you ask, it was nowhere near the shrine on the island."</p>
<p>"Ha… never heard of it… but… maybe we can get Mel here?" suggested the guard.</p>
<p>The tiefling made a face and replied, "Not sure about that. If she comes here without any research done, she'll end up unprepared again."</p>
<p>"Do this splitting up again."</p>
<p>Everyone looked at the half-oni, who continued, "Choco can go and get this Mel you're talking about while I bring the rest with me to the stone door. Maybe we can open it up and remove any threats inside."</p>
<p>"Do we get a say in this?" asked Aloe in deadpan.</p>
<p>"I'm interested," spoke up Botan.</p>
<p>"Heh, of course, you are," sniggered the succubus.</p>
<p>"Anyway, back to the topic," stated Lamy. Turning to the others, "I highly doubt we have the expertise to jump into mysterious buildings."</p>
<p>"Doesn't hurt to try though," said Nene as she got up, "I think we'll be following Ayame's lead on this."</p>
<p>"Then it's settled," added the tiefling, "I'll be leaving for Huan Tuo later then… Oh, yeah, I almost forgot." She then rummaged in her pack and pulled out a book. "Here, a present for you," she stated as she handed it to Subaru, "I bought it off a strange lizardman salesman."</p>
<p>"Eh?" muttered the guard as she glanced down at the book. Her brow furrowed and she got an annoyed look on her face. "Wha- YOU!" she shouted, sounding of a mix of embarrassment and anger, "What is this?" The book was slammed on the table and it had a strange title, The Secret Language of Ducks.</p>
<p>Giggling slowly devolved into laughter as the party realized what just happened, their thoughts going back to the story where Subaru and her friends were going to rescue Towa. The guard shook her head in acceptance, muttering something about never living it down as she stomped off.</p>
<p>"Will she be alright?" asked the half-oni with concern as a smiling wolf lady picked up the book for safekeeping.</p>
<p>"She'll be fine. Just needs to cool off," assured Choco as she glanced over at the party, "Get them ready. Who knows what will show up at that stone place."</p>
<hr/>
<p>"So… this is the place?" asked Nene as they looked at the structure.</p>
<p>It was a simple stone archway jutting out of the hillside reminiscent of a hut or a shack. A large stone slab acted as a door. There were no handles to pull and it can't be pushed or moved in any way.</p>
<p>"Yeah, last time I was here with Choco, we couldn't see any way to get it open," stated the half-oni samurai, "We ended up skipping past this as we had other things to do."</p>
<p>Lamy ran her fingers around the doorway as Botan said, "Something feels off about this house."</p>
<p>"Ah, a bit tingly, but maybe just me," added Polka.</p>
<p>"Really?" asked the bard, her curiosity growing, "I don't feel anything. Strange."</p>
<p>"No, I sense something too," spoke Aloe with a frown, and then thumbed at the other two, "What I don't get is why they are feeling it too."</p>
<p>"Hmm, give me a moment," stated Lamy as she got to her knees in front of the stone door and closed her eyes. They let her be and soon, they could hear her muttering chants and prayers to the divine.</p>
<p>This went on for ten minutes. Slowly, a magic circle mysteriously became inscribed around her. It shone and then vanished as she ended her chant with an audible, "May I be granted arcane sight." She opened her eyes, which had gained a bright blue glow that seemed to trail out from the corner.</p>
<p>Stepping near the stone door, she started tracing her hand around something on the slab. "Strange," she muttered, "There is magic here. Nothing malevolent. A strange mix of enchantment and conjuration. I have never seen something like this before. Hmm..."</p>
<p>Suddenly, the sound of an electrical charge came from the slab, which was now glowing with arcane sigils. The smell of ozone was palpable when a glimmering green portal swirled into existence, covering the stone slab but still within the stone archway. Everyone was very surprised.</p>
<p>"Wha-what is happening?" stammered Ayame in shock, "Is this safe?"</p>
<p>"I think I saw something before it appeared," muttered Botan as she stepped forward. Before anyone could say anything, she dipped her hand inside. "Huh, safe," she stated.</p>
<p>"But it could have been dangerous!" shouted the half-snow elf cleric in disbelief.</p>
<p>"One of the signs on the stone that lit up," she continued to mutter, "I think… we can get to Gekko from here."</p>
<p>"I don't believe that," denied Polka, crossing her arms in front, "Not possible."</p>
<p>"Maybe, but I think it does," the archer insisted as she swirled her hand around inside the portal, looking a little entranced by it, "And… I think it goes through the Feywild. If you want, I can lead you there."</p>
<p>"Umm, as much as I'd like to go in, shouldn't we tell someone first? We are still tied to the guild, you know?" spoke up Nene with uncertainty in her voice.</p>
<p>The lion girl fell silent. After a moment, she sighed and said, "Alright. I just thought, maybe we could… go home for a bit." Her sad-looking face broke them a little.</p>
<p>"Well… maybe we can get our stuff first before stepping in, we can?" the bard suggested in the spirit of compromise.</p>
<p>"We also need to let the others know too," added Ayame, who had fallen silent when the archer dipped her hand into the portal.</p>
<p>"...Okay, thank you," the lion girl replied gratefully.</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome back.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>So, we go back and forth between two teams. It has been advised to never split the party. Then again, this isn't a game, this is a fanfic. Hence, almost nothing dangerous happened. While they waited for Doris' messenger, Nene tried repurposing a spell for herself. I've given her the Fear spell. I wonder what I can throw at Holo5 to feature it. Anyway, we see Gura again. After getting Gura to the island, they turn their attention to a strange stone structure Choco and Ayame found. Apparently, a portal and backdoor to travel to other places</strong>
  <strong>. Dangerous? Yes. But with Botan mentioning the kingdom of Gekko a few times, why not take a jaunt there? We might even meet a certain rabbit there.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, into the small part of the Feywild as well as the next arc. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
<p>Omake: That Which Is Missing</p>
<p>"Hng, doesn't look like much," muttered Shion as she looked at the fanged cave mouth.</p>
<p>"According to the message, this is it," informed Roboco as she looked around as well, "The hag should still be here. Not that many days yet, so she shouldn't have that many minions around."</p>
<p>"Alright, you let me go ahead, yeah?" suggested Aqua, "The shadows are my natural place, after all."</p>
<p>After a few minutes, the other two followed. The glowing moss provided enough light for them to make their way inside. No odd-looking shadows anywhere. As if this was a normal cave system. A sentiment that was echoed by the thief that reappeared from their front.</p>
<p>"Is something wrong?" asked the hunter in surprise.</p>
<p>"I went all the way to the end," she informed them, "There's nothing there. As if nothing lived here. I think the hag cleared out."</p>
<p>The other two blinked, and with a burst of speed, all three headed to the end of the cave system. True enough, the only thing at the last cave was stalactites, stalagmites, and a mossy ceiling.</p>
<p>"...This could be a problem," muttered the wizard as she scanned the area, "She must have magicked everything away. It could be days or weeks before we can find out where she went."</p>
<p>"As unfortunate as it is, at least she isn't near the town anymore," stated Roboco with a little more relief in her voice.</p>
<p>"It'd be better if we defeated the hag," grumbled the thief, "Gods damn it, so much for our fame. Where in the Nine Hells did she go?"</p>
<hr/>
<p>The cart driver sat there patiently by the forest. His master left him specific instructions and what would happen to him if he failed to do so. A snap of a twig broke him out of his daydreaming. Glancing to the side, he noticed his master coming out of the forest with a shrouded person in tow.</p>
<p>The nobleman then gestured to the cart and said, "If you would please get on the cart."</p>
<p>"What a polite man you are," stated the shrouded figure that sounded like an old woman. She quickly got up on the cart with a strange spryness and his master followed suit.</p>
<p>"To the capital, driver," he ordered.</p>
<p>The driver quickly whipped the horses into a trot and canter.</p>
<p>"So, what do you think of my proposal, Miss Lola?" he heard his master ask politely.</p>
<p>"I admit I am interested. But surely, your master and teacher could do better than little old me," she replied humbly.</p>
<p>His master laughed and said, "Regardless, you are one of the, ahem, victims of these incidents. Two of your sisters have been called on too."</p>
<p>"Oh, are you doing what I think you're doing?" asked the old one eagerly.</p>
<p>"Exactly that."</p>
<p>The laughter of both persons filled the cart as the driver guided the cart back to Rivirapolis.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0045"><h2>45. Chapter 45</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
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    <p></p>
    <div>
      <p>Chapter 45</p>
      <p>After getting their things and letting the others know about the portal, they gathered at the entrance to say goodbye. Except for Subaru, Mio, and Gura, since they have other responsibilities.</p>
      <p>"Are you sure about this? I've heard some horrifying stories about the Feywild," said Choco as she gave each of them a hug.</p>
      <p>"Well, Botan seems confident about guiding us, so we're going to trust her on that," replied Nene, the archer grinning behind her.</p>
      <p>"I just hope we don't get lost," muttered Aloe.</p>
      <p>"I'm sure they are capable enough, Choco," stated Ayame as she gave them a look over, nodding in approval, "They are certainly looking prepared."</p>
      <p>Then, Lamy handed a sealed envelope to the tiefling and said, "Here is the message. Please drop it off at the guild as soon as possible."</p>
      <p>"Of course," she nodded as she accepted it.</p>
      <p>"Botan, do we need to look out for anything in the Feywild?" asked Polka.</p>
      <p>"Keep calm and stick together," stated the archer, "Things tend to appear when the opposite happens. Oh, and if I get anything to guide us, please listen. Don't go off doing your own thing." The last piece of advice, she pretty much zoomed in on the fennec fox girl.</p>
      <p>"Hey, I can listen just as well as anyone else," retorted the monk as she pouted.</p>
      <p>"Anyway, let's get a move on," the lion girl said eagerly as she stepped near the portal, which had reappeared.</p>
      <p>Botan went in first, stepping through and leaving ripples on its surface. Polka headed in next, followed by Aloe, Nene, and Lamy.</p>
      <p>"Stay safe, my friends," wished the tiefling cleric as the portal closed.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>The party stepped out into a large forest with trees that seemed endlessly reaching for the sky. The four who had never been here before looked around in awe. Meanwhile, Botan looked around for something familiar.</p>
      <p>"Hmm, no landmarks," she muttered after a while, "Difficult… well, let's go. We need to find something or someone to guide us."</p>
      <p>"Can't you?" questioned Polka.</p>
      <p>"I don't think I've been around here before. I don't recognize the place," stated the archer, "But… I think we can head in this direction for a start."</p>
      <p>She then led them northward or what she assumed was north. A path slowly appeared mysteriously as they made their way through the forest. The whole time, the normal sounds of the forest that was previously muted, slowly came back to normal levels of the hearing range. There was also increased rustling in the underbrush as if someone or something was following them.</p>
      <p>"...What was that?" asked Polka, the rustling unnerving her a little.</p>
      <p>"Keep calm and carry on," Botan advised, keeping her face straight.</p>
      <p>Suddenly, a sprite flew out of a bush and exclaimed, "Hi! Welcome back, Botan!" The little fey then flew up and around the lion girl's head, finally settling to hug her ears. She wore a simple leaf dress, her wings were like transparent silk, and had blonde hair in a pixie-cut style with bright yellow eyes.</p>
      <p>"Eh? Hello, Fu," she greeted with a relieved smile, "Are we near the circle?"</p>
      <p>"Nope! You're not. But… a group of satyrs is having a drinking party around here, so do keep an ear out for that," the sprite informed her.</p>
      <p>"A drinking party?" repeated Lamy with interest.</p>
      <p>"Hmm, say, Fu, can you lead us to the Gekko portal?" asked the archer as she glanced up to her ears.</p>
      <p>"Sure," she said as she nuzzled the furry appendage, "One moment." She then made very ecstatic squeals as she hugged the lion girl's ear intensely.</p>
      <p>"Please don't," the archer said in deadpan, amidst the snickering of Aloe and Nene.</p>
      <p>"I wonder what kind of drinks they have," murmured Polka in curiosity.</p>
      <p>"All done! Come, follow me!" the sprite exclaimed cheerfully as she launched off the lion girl's head and flew ahead.</p>
      <p>And so, they continued on their way, the sprite slowly leading them through the forest. The rustling that accompanied them before had lessened but did not go away. However, it stopped bothering them and they were focused on their journey. Eventually, they came to a crossroad of two paths, one left and one right. The forest seemed to hem them in, knitting together as if transforming into a wall.</p>
      <p>"Eh? What?" muttered Polka in surprise as the four looked at the lion girl and the sprite.</p>
      <p>"Normal stuff. Things like this sometimes happen," Fu explained with a shrug, "The forest is alive, after all."</p>
      <p>"More like drunk thanks to the satyrs," muttered Botan with an annoyed tone, "Who knows where they lead now?"</p>
      <p>"I can make a pretty good guess," declared the sprite as she flew over to the right branch, "Come on! This should be the general direction. We should be able to reach the portal you want this way."</p>
      <p>"If you're sure..." muttered the succubus, not believing the fey in the slightest.</p>
      <p>They spent the rest of the time walking. However, the forest seemed to be getting darker the further they went. It took a long time, but it was Polka that pointed it out.</p>
      <p>"Hey, haven't we seen that tree before?" she asked as she stopped to point at a moss-covered tree.</p>
      <p>"Eh? Have we?" asked Aloe.</p>
      <p>"Botan, Fu, have we been going around in circles?" asked Lamy as she narrowed her eyes.</p>
      <p>"...Are we trapped here?" asked Nene worriedly.</p>
      <p>"Erm..."</p>
      <p>"Fu, what happened?" asked Botan with a frown.</p>
      <p>The sprite started poking her index fingers together, avoiding their gazes while looking down at the ground, "I… may have forgotten about this?"</p>
      <p>As the others started groaning in exasperation, she hurriedly said, "I mean, this was supposed to be a repeating trap for any meenlocks so that they don't trouble anyone."</p>
      <p>"Can you undo it? At least to let us out?" asked the lion girl.</p>
      <p>"No? I didn't set this up," muttered the sprite. But then, she stated brightly, "But I know who did."</p>
      <p>"Get them please," she requested as politely as she could muster.</p>
      <p>As the sprite flew off, the party sat around a tree and looked around in silence.</p>
      <p>"Huh, why can she fly through this while we are stuck here?" asked the succubus in annoyance.</p>
      <p>"Feywild things. Don't think too hard on it," the archer replied.</p>
      <p>"Botan, what are meenlocks?" asked the bard.</p>
      <p>"Well, simply put, fey born from great fear," she explained, "And… they can create more by driving others to despair and terror, changing them into meenlocks."</p>
      <p>"That… sounds quite terrifying," muttered the cleric.</p>
      <p>"Well, I hope we don't bump into one here," muttered the fennec fox girl.</p>
      <p>"After you jumped into my trap, I certainly hope not."</p>
      <p>The party looked up and saw a strangely-dressed elf. Leather armor with a golden yellow shimmer. His frowning face glared at them with fully golden eyes framed by burnished yellow hair. After touching the ground in front of them and muttering something, he got up and motioned them to get out. The party hurried behind him and he repeated the motions.</p>
      <p>Turning to face them, he took a deep breath and the golden shimmer became bronze yellow, his hair turning to a dark red. The now calmer elf said, "It seems the silly sprite forgot about this. Apologies."</p>
      <p>"Well, it was unexpected but..."</p>
      <p>"If you insist, sir," Lamy interrupted Botan, "If you could please guide us to the Gekko portal, we would be very grateful."</p>
      <p>"Mmm, of course. Please, follow me," he replied politely and motioned them to follow.</p>
      <p>Things progressed a lot more smoothly. The mysterious rustling in the underbrush was strangely absent when he was around, but it was a welcome change. The forest also seemed to lose its gloomy atmosphere and serene calmness returned to the air. They then suddenly stopped, their new guide holding up his hand in a familiar motion.</p>
      <p>"Apologies. We are meeting someone here. She wishes to go back to your plane after visiting," he replied with a peaceful smile.</p>
      <p>"Thank you for waiting for me, my friend."</p>
      <p>She was a blonde elf wearing a leaf-green dress and was holding a staff. She had a radiant smile and greeted the party as she approached.</p>
      <p>"My name is Aki Rosenthal. Well met," she wished them as she waved.</p>
      <p>"Alright, let's get a move on," stated the trapper as the second eldarin joined the group, "We still have a ways to go before we reach the portal."</p>
      <p>As they continued on, Nene proceeded to try and find out more about the mysterious druid. She recognized the name as one of Subaru's friends and from what she was described doing, was probably a druid of sorts.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>They stood in front of the gleaming portal that slowly swirled into existence. The eldarin trapper stood next to it and said, "Here we are." Glancing over the party, he then said, "Well, I'll have to warn you, some of you may not remember what happened in the wild when you return." When asked why, he shrugged and said, "The magic here reacts differently to those who do not live here."</p>
      <p>"But, I still remember my time here," Botan spoke up with a frown, wondering what was going on.</p>
      <p>He scrutinized her for a moment, and then stated, "You learned how to use the magic of the wild. More than likely have a better chance of remembering."</p>
      <p>"I believe the better you understand the wild, the lesser the effects on you will be," added Aki as she moved to the portal, "I believe we have disturbed him enough. Let us go through, my friends."</p>
      <p>One by one, they stepped through the portal and exited into another forest. As the last person stepped through, the portal closed. The party then blinked and looked around.</p>
      <p>"Eh? How did we get here?" asked Botan.</p>
      <p>"Oh, my," the eldarin druid sounded with a smile.</p>
      <p>"You don't remember?" asked Lamy in slight surprise.</p>
      <p>After the cleric and the druid filled in the blanks of the memories of the others, they took a good look around the forest. The lion girl's eyes were practically shining when she faced them to say excitedly, "I know this place. Follow me!"</p>
      <p>"Wha-? Wait, slow down!" called out the bard as the archer suddenly ran off through the forest.</p>
      <p>"Let's go after her!" exclaimed Polka as she ran past the bard.</p>
      <p>Shrugging, the rest ran after them. The fennec fox girl made sure to keep the lion girl in her sights while moving slow enough for the others to catch up. The forest slowly thinned and eventually gave way to an open plain whose yellows and browns stretched as far as the eye can see. The archer was standing at the edge of the forest, staring at a little collection of domed tents.</p>
      <p>"Botan, what's the big idea?" asked Nene as the others came up, huffing and puffing, behind her.</p>
      <p>"Everyone, this is Dankimba, my tribe," she stated proudly.</p>
      <p>"EH!?" shouted the other four.</p>
      <p>Aki giggled and said, "This is a pleasant surprise. Let's go and see your village, Miss Botan."</p>
      <p>"This is way too much of a coincidence," muttered Aloe, getting over her shock.</p>
      <p>"This is the way of the wild. You get used to it," the druid replied with a shrug, "Now, let's go to the village. I'm sure there are some very happy people to see."</p>
      <p>With the lion girl in the lead, the group headed towards the village. On the approach, the village gave off a pleasant air of peacefulness. There wasn't a wall or even a palisade, indicating a nomadic lifestyle. The village consisted of large animal-skin tents, each one arranged around a fire pit. They counted five pits in total. One was bigger than the others and it was near the largest tent in the village. There were several villagers about, mostly women and children. One of the playing children spotted the party and called out to the others. Several tent flaps were pushed aside and several men came out armed with bows and short swords. However, the villagers approached them with smiles and cheers, all of them focused on Botan.</p>
      <p>"Hello, everyone! I'm back!" called out the lion girl as the others surrounded her. The children cheered on to the big sister while one of the women hugged her and started kissing her cheeks.</p>
      <p>"Mama, stop. I'm fine," she pleaded with a smile but made no move to make her stop.</p>
      <p>"Hush, you. I am your mother and you will accept this," the older woman playfully scolded her scion as she ushered her over to the family tent.</p>
      <p>"Ma, wait a bit," she protested as she patted her mother's arm. Gesturing over to her friends, she introduced each one to the crowd.</p>
      <p>"Well, at least our little runt made some good friends," declared a lion man as he and another smirked at them.</p>
      <p>"Good to see you too, Hiron, Kirov," called out the archer in reply.</p>
      <p>A closer look showed that they indeed bore a resemblance to her, being older than she was but younger than the proclaimed mother. Both were sporting leather armor with their weapons kept sheathed and slung. Their beards were not as long nor as large but framed their faces quite well, giving them a rugged handsomeness.</p>
      <p>"Ha, welcome back, daughter," a deep voice sounded.</p>
      <p>A large lion man, a bit taller than the other two and more heavyset, stepped through the crowd as it parted to make way. He wore similar equipment to his sons though he sported dual shortswords instead of just one.</p>
      <p>"Father, I'm back," the lion girl spoke proudly as she stood her tallest as she faced him.</p>
      <p>He nodded sternly and glazed at the rest of the party. Nene and Aloe looked nervous. Polka waved and grinned. Lamy stood still, trying to look as stoic and regal as she could. Aki just stood there and smiled serenely.</p>
      <p>"What strange friends you have made, daughter," he commented as he turned back to her.</p>
      <p>"Yeah… but I couldn't ask for better," she declared with a smile.</p>
      <p>He chuckled and replied, "Very well. Come, we had better explain to Elder Leon what the commotion was about." And after glazing over the arty again, he added, "Bring your friends too."</p>
      <p>The crowd then dispersed and went back to their routines. Except for the children, who followed after them inquisitively for a moment before running off to play, and her brothers, who brought up the rear. They walked up to the main fire pit in front of the big tent, where someone had already seated on a large chair. He was decked in clothes made of rich skins with chainlinks peeking out from under them. He also wore a fur hat and an eye patch.</p>
      <p>Next to him was a much older person. She also wore animal skin clothes and wore her hair in a ponytail with the front part of her head shaved. On the shaved part were vibrant tribal tattoos that Nene suspected held a magical significance. Beside her was a staff with all manner of feathers and animal's teeth hanging off it.</p>
      <p>The man then stood up and extended his arms in a welcoming gesture. "Welcome, travelers. I am Elder Leon," greeted the elder as he gestured to take a seat, and addressed Botan, "It is good to see one of ours return to their roots. What brings you back here, young Botan?"</p>
      <p>"I wanted to see my family again," she replied, "It has been a few moons already and I wanted to know what has been happening."</p>
      <p>"She is fey-touched," the old lady stated as she pointed at the lion girl, "What have you been doing, girl?"</p>
      <p>"Umm..." she sounded as she scratched her ear, "Well, it started out when we were checking something out for a guild mission."</p>
      <p>She then told the story about the werewolf fight during the mission where they met Aloe, her subsequent treatment, and being brought to the druidic circle where she got introduced to the Feywild.</p>
      <p>"Wonderful tale you have, young Botan," stated the elder with a chuckle, and then declared, "All of your friends are welcome to stay with us until you wish to leave again."</p>
      <p>"Thank you, elder," said the lion girl gratefully while the rest of the party just grinned excitedly. Then, she exclaimed, "Ah, I have a gift for you elder." She then produced the dragonhide cloak from her pack and presented it to him.</p>
      <p>"Ho, ho, this is truly a wonderful gift, young Botan," the elder exclaimed happily as he threw the cloak around his shoulders.</p>
      <p>The lion girl just grinned.</p>
      <p>
        <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome to the next chapter.</strong>
      </p>
      <p>
        <strong>We are going to the kingdom of Gekko. Yes, we shall see the return of a certain rabbit princess. But first, a jaunt into the Feywild. Yeah, we get to see a small part of the Feywild in this chapter. A little taste of what Botan has seen before. Almost got lost there but they made it through with a little extra. Aki comes along with them but only for a moment. For now. And what do you know, we happen to come out outside Botan's tribe. So, this is what I imagined her family to be. A tribe revolving around hunting and living off the land. Kinda like the barbarian tribes in Faerun. Her dad is the lead hunter of the tribe. I kinda imagine him to look like Leo from Guilty Gear. The unga-bunga manly man. Then, Holo5 was brought to their leader. The old lady next to him is the tribal shaman, as the hints indicated. And Botan gives out her gifts. The cloak goes to the tribe's leader. Next chapter, her dad gets the armor.</strong>
      </p>
      <p>
        <strong>Next chapter, time to go further inland. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
      </p>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0046"><h2>46. Chapter 46</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 46</p>
<p>The elder wasn't the only one happy with his gift. Botan's father, who was the lead hunter of the tribe, was quite happy with his own gift when she presented him with the dragon scale mail. Leaving him to show off and brag to the others about his daughter, she went back to the fire pit where the rest of the party sat as Aki had gone to chat with the shaman of the tribe.</p>
<p>"So, I suggest we stay for a few days before going off," proposed Nene, "Maybe Botan can show us around."</p>
<p>"Ah, I don't think there is much to see that's interesting, to be honest," admitted the lion girl, "We move around quite a lot. We go where the food roams, after all."</p>
<p>The next few days were a blur. Aki struck out on her own, saying her goodbyes the next day of their arrival. Polka became popular with the children with her acrobatics and juggling, their laughter and squeals of delight following her wherever she went most of the time. Lamy kept to herself at first, but after finding out the existence of tribal moonshine, hung out with the brewer along with the fennec fox girl. The rest stuck around the shaman; Aloe just wanted to stick with Nene, who was interested in listening in on the tribe's history, while Botan tried wrapping her mind around the shaman's magic.</p>
<p>By the end of the few days, Polka and Lamy got a new recipe for booze, Aloe and Nene learning about the more recent history of the tribe, and Botan learned how to enhance her arrows with a banishing effect. The shaman was quite surprised to see how she quickly understood what to do and attributed it to being touched by the Feywild.</p>
<p>"Guh… boring..." groaned the succubus out of earshot, the others waving goodbye as they left the village.</p>
<p>"Ah… at least wave to be polite," reminded the lore bard. Her friend shrugged and waved as well, the party slowly leaving the village.</p>
<p>They then headed westward where Izuni, the nearest town, was. They were told that it would be a few more months before the tribe had to move again, so they were welcome anytime until then. It took half a day but they reached there with little trouble, with the only wildlife they saw was a herd of wild elephants. The recognizable town walls were sighted as the grasslands slowly gave way from browns and yellows to green. It looked peaceful as they walked past the gates, with the beastfolk going on with their lives.</p>
<p>However, as they went to the inn to get directions to the next town, they overheard a few people talking about a crazy inventor shacking up in the nearby forest.</p>
<p>"Should we go and check it?" asked Polka, her eyes brimming with curiosity.</p>
<p>"Well, I admit I am feeling a little curious," added Lamy, "I wonder what are they doing..."</p>
<p>"Ha, I guess we can go and check it on the way to the next town," mused Nene.</p>
<p>After getting directions to both the next town and the inventor's house, they left and made their way out to the house. The well-used road weaved its way through a forest and after a few hours, branched off with one going deeper into the forest and the other keeping to the road.</p>
<p>"Alright, we turn in here," declared the bard as she led the party down the less-worn path.</p>
<p>"I hope we're doing the right thing," muttered the succubus.</p>
<p>"Don't worry so much," chided the fennec fox monk as she clapped her hand on Aloe's back, "What could go wrong?"</p>
<p>Then, they heard a loud explosion.</p>
<p>"You were saying?" asked the cleric as the party burst into a run towards the sound.</p>
<p>Running down the path, they came upon a normal-looking house. A column of smoke rose up from behind the house. As they ran around it, they heard loud, hacking coughs as well as loud shouting and laughing. They came upon the source of the smoke column, a small crater in the middle of the backyard. Next to it, a soot-covered rabbit girl was going over a notebook while a… metal man was brushing the ash off her head.</p>
<p>"HA↓ HA↑ HA↑ HA↑ HA↑ Alright, that didn't work," she declared as she marched over to a table on the side, "Well, I can try this one now."</p>
<p>"Erm, hello?" called out Nene as the rabbit inventor picked up a leather chest piece.</p>
<p>"Eh? Oh, konpeko! My name is Pekora!" she gushed as she suddenly ran over and shook our hands, "What brings you here?"</p>
<p>"Er, we heard that there was an inventor here and was curious," the lore bard said as the rabbit girl ran back to the armor and placed them in the crater, which had stopped smoking.</p>
<p>"Mmm, mmm, peko," she muttered as she picked up her bag and pulled out a small brush and a small pot of something dubious. She then proceeded to paint some arcane-looking sigils on the front. Tossing the brush aside and putting the pot in her bag, she took a few steps back, stretched out her hand, and chanted a short stanza of strange-sounding words. At the end of the chant, the armor burst into flames.</p>
<p>"Eh?" she muttered as she stared at the burning piece of leather.</p>
<p>Things were looking a little less… desirable for the party right now. As they tried inching away from the backyard, the rabbit girl turned to them and exclaimed, "Alright, all experiments done. Maybe I can try again peko down the line. Anyway, if you need me to do anything, I need my workshop."</p>
<p>"Ah… is it in here?" asked the lore bard hesitantly as she pointed to the house.</p>
<p>"Oh, no. This is just a house peko from home," she explained animatedly, "I come here for experiments that I can't do at my workshop. Noisy for neighbours, peko."</p>
<p>"So… where is your workshop?" pressed on the lore bard.</p>
<p>"In the capital city, Silicasa."</p><hr/>
<p>In the end, they were roped into bringing the rabbit girl artificer back to Silicasa. After packing up her stuff and draping a cloak around her metal butler, who she called Jack, they headed back to the main road and off to the next town. The sun had begun to set by the time they arrived at the second town, Locolata. They noticed something strange though; everyone seemed to be very nice to the artificer for some reason. Even when they reached the inn, the mouse-eared innkeeper ran around the counter, shook the rabbit girl's hand, and said something about being an honor for housing her.</p>
<p>"She's certainly popular," whispered Aloe to Nene.</p>
<p>"I didn't know an artificer like her was this treasured," the bard whispered back.</p>
<p>"Well, she does have some regal bearing, as scruffy as she looks," added Lamy, who then reasoned, "Maybe she is a noble of some standing."</p>
<p>The rest shrugged and followed the artificer to a table for dinner, apparently having already paid for their rooms.</p>
<p>"You are very famous, it seems, Miss Pekora," stated the half-snow elf politely.</p>
<p>"HA↓ HA↑ HA↑ HA↑ HA↑ Well, I suppose you five are new here," laughed the artificer, "Refreshing. Anyway, peko your ears. I am actually a princess."</p>
<p>Silence.</p>
<p>"WHAT!?"</p>
<p>"HA↓ HA↑ HA↑ HA↑ HA↑ Yes, I am," she insisted, much to the incredulous looks on their faces.</p>
<p>"But… if you're a princess, what are you doing all the way out here?" asked Aloe.</p>
<p>"My research, of course!" she declared proudly, "Peko new ways of putting magic into stuff. For example, this!"</p>
<p>She suddenly got to her feet and picked up her light crossbow. Without loading anything, she shot the wall of the inn. A glowing bolt of light slammed into the wall and after a second, disappeared, leaving a small hole in the wood.</p>
<p>"Er, please don't damage anything, your Highness," pleaded the innkeeper with a strained smile, her tone a mixture of scared and annoyed.</p>
<p>"Ah, sorry, peko, sorry," she apologized as she rubbed her head sheepishly, "It won't happen again."</p>
<p>"Um… that's impressive," stated Botan rather hesitantly.</p>
<p>"Is fine! Is fine!" the rabbit princess assured them as she took her seat again, "I peko overexcited. No worries." Noticing that Nene was looking a little unsure, she spoke up kindly, "Don't worry. All infusions have been tested pekoly and certified safe… as long as I do it in my workshop."</p>
<p>"Sure..." sounded an unconvinced lore bard.</p>
<p>"Anyway, let's eat!" declared the princess as the innkeeper and a helper brought over their food.</p><hr/>
<p>The next day was a beautiful day to wake up to. Having said their thanks and goodbyes to the innkeeper, they left the town and headed for the capital. It was unfortunate that the smaller towns and villages here didn't have the luxury of a cart and carriage network, so they had to travel by foot. It was a little cloudy but the sun shone strongly. Keeping to the main road, Pekora guessed that they should have another day's worth of travel before reaching Silicasa.</p>
<p>After a few hours of travel, they came across two beastfolk, an older man and a child. They were pulling a donkey and cart laden with wares, mostly farm produce.</p>
<p>"Hey, papa, there's some people coming up the road," they heard the young raccoon girl announce as they came near.</p>
<p>Lamy noticed her shield suddenly glowing blue. "Strange," she muttered aloud.</p>
<p>"Now, Lena, no talking to strangers," warned the father as the young girl ran up to them.</p>
<p>"Hi, I'm Lenalia," she introduced herself as she held up a wooden ring in her hand, "You seem like magic-knowing folk. Can you help me figure this out? I found this on the side of the road earlier."</p>
<p>"Well, it is magical," stated the half-snow elf, the intensity of the shield's glow increasing slightly.</p>
<p>"Oh, that's easy to figure out," said Aloe cheerily as she pulled out a pearl from her money pouch, "I'll just use an identifying spell for this."</p>
<p>"Umm, don't you need an owl feather too?" questioned Nene.</p>
<p>"Ah… right," muttered the succubus as her shoulders slumped.</p>
<p>"Sorry," apologized the lore bard as she put away the pearl.</p>
<p>"Lena, I already told you no talking to strangers," scolded the older raccoon man as he stomped over and pulled his daughter away.</p>
<p>"Aww, papa," groaned the girl with a pout, "I thought we could find out about the ring."</p>
<p>He grunted and said, "As long as you don't use it, we'll be alright. Maybe we can get it figured out when we earn enough money."</p>
<p>The party looked at each other, each one wondering if they could help in some way. As the girl was coaxed away from them, Lamy went up to them and pulled some pieces out of her money pouch.</p>
<p>"Here, it isn't much, but here is something to help you with that," she told them as she gave them several silver pieces and gold pieces, much to their shock and astonishment.</p>
<p>"Please, there is no need for this," stated the father as he refused, trying to return the money.</p>
<p>"No, please, I insist," she persisted, pushing the money into his hands.</p>
<p>"Look, we do not need your help," he protested with a frown, "We-"</p>
<p>"Papa, please. No fighting," pleaded the girl with a sad face as she tugged his shirt.</p>
<p>He grunted again and muttered as he took the money, "Fine. We accept."</p>
<p>Looking back at the party, she then offered, "Can we help with moving the cart as well?"</p>
<p>"No, we are fine. You seem to be a busy lot going the other way. We'd be fine," he refused as he walked back to the donkey and cart with his daughter.</p>
<p>As they went back to pulling their donkey, the party walked on, happy with the results.</p>
<p>"That was very nice of you, Miss Lamy," stated Pekora as they left the two raccoon-folk behind.</p>
<p>"They seem to be in hard times," the cleric stated, "It was the right thing to do. Plus, if they are true to their word to not mess around with it, then they should be safe."</p>
<p>"That's Mummy Lamy for you," quipped Nene.</p>
<p>"Excuse you, I am not your mother," the half-snow elf retorted with a blush. The others just giggled.</p><hr/>
<p>Soon, night fell and the group stopped by a creek to set up camp. After making a small campfire, they settled down to wait for Botan to finish hunting. When she came back to the camp with two rabbits, they cheered for the archer. Soon, they were roasting over the fire.</p>
<p>"Hey, this wouldn't be cannibalism, would it?" teased Aloe with a smirk.</p>
<p>Pekora laughed and replied confidently, "No, don't be silly. A rabbit-folk is peko different from a normal rabbit."</p>
<p>"This is not something to be joking about," Lamy chided the succubus.</p>
<p>"Alright, it's ready," declared the archer as she handed out the rabbit meat kebabs to everyone save the steel defender.</p>
<p>After dinner was over, Nene put up the magical hut to sleep for the night.</p>
<p>"Wow, amazing," gushed the artificer as she poked the transparent dome, "I wonder if I can make something like this..."</p>
<p>"It would be a sight to see if you could," stated the bard in wonder.</p>
<p>"...Let's get to sleep," muttered Polka after a yawn.</p>
<p>"Hng… I wish I brought the wine with me," murmured Lamy.</p>
<p>It took a while, but they fell asleep peacefully until the morning. They took time to wash up and clean up the campsite before they crossed the creek. An hour after leaving the creek area, the surrounding forest began thinning out and the land became dotted with random houses with small farming fields. Sometimes they would pass by a farmer or two on their horse and carts heading towards the city with their produce.</p>
<p>"Hmm, I wonder..." muttered Pekora as she got another idea. She got tired of walking and was now perched on her defender's shoulders, using its head as a makeshift table.</p>
<p>Suddenly, two dogs suddenly ran out from a hops farm and started barking at them. They were rather large and looked a little frightening. Botan and Polka put themselves in front of Lamy and Nene. Aloe took to the air and drew out her daggers while the artificer dropped her notebook in surprise.</p>
<p>"Pogo! Migo! Down boys!" shouted a dwarf as he ran after them, "Don't go barking up strangers, yer stupid mutts!"</p>
<p>Startled by the loud yelling, the dogs whined and went to heel.</p>
<p>"Get back to the farm," he ordered as he pointed at the farm. As they followed his orders, he turned to the surprised party and muttered an apology.</p>
<p>"It's alright. Don't worry about it," said the princess before looking at her steel defender and ordering it, "Jack, pick up my notebook."</p>
<p>The dwarf farmer walked back to the farm as the defender squatted down and retrieved the notebook for its master. Meanwhile, the succubus landed while sheathing the daggers.</p>
<p>"Let's get a move on," stated the lore bard, getting mutters of agreement from the rest.</p>
<p>A few more hours later, Silicasa came into view. According to the rabbit inventor, its layout was similar to Rivirapolis except the castle was all the way north of the city with the noble district around it like a deformed semicircle. Her words. And the closer they got, the jumpier she got as well.</p>
<p>"Nervous?" asked the archer.</p>
<p>"Umm, just excited. It's been peko since I saw my Mama," she replied with a grin. She then waved at a few people who stopped to bow to her.</p>
<p>"Ooh, we get to meet your mum?" asked Aloe in surprise.</p>
<p>"You aren't. Peko I am!" she retorted and declared, "We are heading straight for my workshop."</p>
<p>Her workshop, it turns out, was at the center of the city and overlooked the market square. It was a double-story building. The upper floor served as her sleeping area while the bottom floor was where she did most of her work.</p>
<p>"Ta-dah! My workshop!" the rabbit princess declared as she flung the door open and then she stopped with a start.</p>
<p>Standing next to the worktable was a taller, more mature-looking Pekora. She wore a beautiful flowing green and white dress as well as a simple silver crown on her head.</p>
<p>"Eh? Mama?"</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome back.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>So, a little update for Botan where she gets a banishing shot for her Arcane Archer class. Polka being very entertaining. Lamy gets a taste. Nene learns. Aloe gets bored. The few days go by quickly and they begin their travels to Silicasa, the capital of Gekko. On the way, they encounter many different things and people. Especially a certain rabbit girl. With explosions. She picked up a few things from Miko it seems. At least she keeps her experiments away from the general public. Wouldn't want to damage her reputation, now would she? Now, the explosions themselves signify infusions that she hadn't learned or discovered yet (a.k.a. level restrictions). As of now, she knows eight infusions; five Replicate Magic Item infusions(Bag of Holding, Goggles of Night, Sending stones, Necklace of Adaptation, Gauntlets of Ogre Power), Returning Weapon, Repeating shot, and Enhanced Weapon. Along the way, she gets more ideas. That might be dangerous. But... she does have proficiency with tinker's tools so she might be able to invent something. Anyway, the group reaches Silicasa and head straight for Pekora's workshop. And we have a certain person waiting for her there.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, did you know that there is a local branch of the adventurer's guild? Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0047"><h2>47. Chapter 47</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 47</p>
<p>She gestured a hug with her arms and said, "Welcome back, Pekora."</p>
<p>The princess ran and hugged her mother. She then looked up into her mother's eyes and said, "Mama, why are you here? You usually don't come to peko me at the workshop."</p>
<p>"Isn't it right for me to be worried about my dear daughter?" the queen chuckled, "Besides, I have been wondering what you have been up to, peko."</p>
<p>The artificer made a face and groaned out, "Noooo, please don't say that! That is my thing! Not yours."</p>
<p>The rest of the party giggled, drawing the queen's attention. "Oh, my," she said as she placed a hand on her cheek, "You have friends with you."</p>
<p>"They are my customers," the rabbit girl corrected, "I was peko to help them with something."</p>
<p>"Ah," she sounded in understanding, "Very well. I shall leave you to your business. Do make time to visit, my dear."</p>
<p>She then gracefully walked past the party, stepping out of the door and closing it gently.</p>
<p>After a moment of silence, Polka quipped, "That was unexpected."</p>
<p>Pekora sighed and muttered, "No kidding." She then perked up and said, "Anyway, what peko need help with, my customers?"</p>
<p>"Well, since you seem to know your way with enchanting stuff," started Nene as she pulled out the sentient dagger, "I was wondering if you knew who made Anya?"</p>
<p>The rabbit girl blinked and took the dagger in her hands, the weapon suddenly greeting her with a, "Hi!"</p>
<p>Her eyes went wide and after a moment, said, "Master Frisby's final creation?"</p>
<p>This perked up the others. "Was that my creator?" asked the blade.</p>
<p>"My teacher," she explained, "Great man. He went across the sea to try and peko new discoveries and enchantments. Lost contact with him. He brought Anya with him."</p>
<p>Silence.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry for your loss," spoke up the lore bard.</p>
<p>The artificer shook her head and replied, "He wouldn't want me or anyone else he knew to mourn him. Not long anyway. He long accepted that he was peko to pass away. He just hoped to find or discover something extraordinary to his name before he did." She caressed the blade, eliciting a giggle, and said with a sigh, "Unfortunately, looks like he didn't get to do it. At least I still have most of his notes with me. Hmm… peko I can find something..."</p>
<p>She placed Anya down on the worktable and went over to a bookshelf. Pulling out a book, she opened it and went through the text. As she did so, the others wandered and looked around the workshop. Nene and Aloe took a seat at the worktable. Botan sat at a drawing board. Lamy sat on the stairs. Polka walked up the stairs and at the turn, practiced balancing on her head while leaning against the wall.</p>
<p>After a few minutes of browsing, Pekora brought the book over and placed it on the worktable. Picking Anya up, she stated, "I think I can build off peko groundwork Master Frisby laid out inside you. Unfortunately, there are limitations. Being that you are a dagger, less can be added to you peko to a sword or armor."</p>
<p>"You want to add on to her?" asked Nene in surprise.</p>
<p>"Why not?" the artificer asked with a grin, "Master Frisby wanted to do it, just to see if it could be done. I peko try the same thing."</p>
<p>"I don't mind," quipped the sentient blade.</p>
<p>"In that case… sure, I would like to add on to Anya," decided the lore bard.</p>
<p>With a clap of her hands, the rabbit princess stated, "Well, all that's left peko is to pick what you want and get the ingredients. For a dagger, I can either reinforce the power inside Anya or make it possible for Anya to teleport back to your hand."</p>
<p>After a moment, the bard chose the teleporting option. Pekora then explained that the option is a bit more complicated to enchant but still possible. She needs essences or materials that can be used to, for lack of a better term, infuse the teleportation power into Anya. Daemon ichor, the more difficult essence to gather, or blink dog hides, the easier material.</p>
<p>"Eh? I rather we don't go after blink dogs," spoke up Botan, "From what I was told, if we kill the wrong one, we get cursed and hunted down by one of the Fey Courts."</p>
<p>"Well, I won't put a time limit on your request," reasoned the rabbit artificer, "However, I can't start without peko one. So, if you can find a source, just keep this in mind."</p>
<p>"Alright, thanks for the help, your highness," said Nene gratefully.</p>
<p>"Pardun? Call me Pekora," ordered the princess with a grin, "And no problem. I'm happy to help."</p>
<p>"Hmm, now that we have established what to do in the future," mused Lamy aloud, "But what do we do in the meantime?"</p>
<p>"Oh, you can go to the adventurer's guild," replied the artificer, "There's a local branch here."</p>
<p>"Wow, there is!?" exclaimed Polka in surprise, "Where is it?"</p>
<p>"I can show the way," she declared with a grin, "I'll even introduce you to the branch leader. She's my cousin."</p>
<p>"EH!?"</p>
<hr/>
<p>To their disbelief, it was quite true. Pekora led them to the local guild branch, which was to the southern side of the city. Upon entering, they spotted a beautiful maiden at the counter. Long, grey-silvery hair framed her face, and short, pretty peacock feathers blooming out of where her ears were. She wore a blue and white dress with green highlights and long flowing sleeves.</p>
<p>"Oh? Hello, Pekora. What brings you here?" she greeted.</p>
<p>"Hello, Reine! I bring some adventurers," the rabbit girl declared as she gestured at them.</p>
<p>"Hello. We are from the adventurer's guild on Lithos," said Nene as the others came up behind her.</p>
<p>"Ah, I see. Well, I received a notification from Lord Aruran about your party," she said with a smile, "It is nice to meet you. I am Reine Pavolia and welcome to the Gekko Branch Adventurer's Guild."</p>
<p>"Nice to meet you. Please take care of us!" the party exclaimed with smiles.</p>
<p>"Please take a look at the bulletin board if you wish to take a request," she stated as she gestured to the board nearby.</p>
<p>"Thank you very much," stated the bard before the party went over to look.</p>
<p>"Okay, see you peko, Reine," called out the artificer with a wave before leaving.</p>
<p>"Thank you for coming, Pekora," replied her cousin.</p>
<p>After looking through the requests, they came back to the counter and presented a piece of paper to her. Taking and reading it, she stated, "Hmm, mystery lights. Are you sure this is what you want?"</p>
<p>"Yup!" confirmed the lore bard.</p>
<p>"Alright, you can reach the ruins of this hamlet by going north out of the east gate," she stated, giving them the general directions to the place.</p>
<p>Thanking the helpful princess, they moved out. The road up was not as used as the others and so, no coverage for any carriages or carts. Unless you are a merchant or already have a mode of transport. They reached the forested outskirts of the hamlet without any interruptions and proceeded to look around before going in. It was evening around that time and as they walked up the path leading to the helmet, Lamy noticed a glint of steel from behind a tree.</p>
<p>She nudged Polka and whispered as she pointed to the tree, "Hey, do you see what I see?"</p>
<p>"Yeah… check it out?" the fennec fox girl whispered back after looking around.</p>
<p>Nodding, the cleric called out, "Everyone, wait a bit."</p>
<p>While the monk went to check on the glint, she told the rest what she noticed as they huddled together.</p>
<p>"Ambush?" asked Botan.</p>
<p>"I do not think so," she replied with a frown, "At least I think so. I just saw a glint."</p>
<p>Before anything else could be said, the fennec fox girl scrambled back to the group with a wide-eyed look on her face. "Help… so much dead," she muttered softly as she huffed heavily.</p>
<p>"Dead bodies?" asked Nene with concern.</p>
<p>"Creepy," she muttered as she tried to calm down, "Just a bit… ugh, give me a bit."</p>
<p>"Big question. Why are they hidden?" asked Aloe as she frowned, "I'm starting to wonder if the mystery lights aren't a mystery at all..."</p>
<p>"Bandits tricking people?" suggested the archer.</p>
<p>"Maybe."</p>
<p>"Hmph, then it falls to us to stop them," Lamy declared softly.</p>
<p>"Let's go then. Carefully," decided Nene, "Polka, can you scout ahead?"</p>
<p>"Okay, okay, phew," the monk wheezed out before ducking into the underbrush again.</p>
<p>While she was sneaking around, the other four decided to retreat a little down the path and waited. It took some time but eventually, she came back.</p>
<p>"Okay, so there are several houses but only three are still standing," she stated, "I saw eight people there. All armed one way or another, but only five of them have visible armor. One of the non-armored ones was studying a spellbook."</p>
<p>"Huh, so they have a mage with them," mused Aloe, "Difficult but if we take him out first, we can make this easier for us."</p>
<p>"I saw him in one of the uninhabitable houses. The furthest one from the path," she continued, "The others were all over the place. The armored ones were around a campfire while the other two seemed to be praying in another house."</p>
<p>"Praying? Are they priests?" muttered Lamy in surprise, "If that is so, why did they join the bandits?"</p>
<p>"Maybe they are related somehow?" guessed Nene with a shrug, "More importantly, do we bring them in or lay down the law ourselves?"</p>
<p>"I don't know… normally, we get attacked and we have no choice but to fight back and kill them," stated the cleric.</p>
<p>"Hmm, if they do wrong, they get punished. Doesn't matter who does the punishing," stated the archer, "Law of the tribe."</p>
<p>"I guess we can try?" muttered the monk, "But they already killed people. I also doubt they'd come quietly."</p>
<p>"Just wipe them off and be done with it," spoke up the succubus. As she got stares from the previous three, she mumbled to herself, "Just want it out there."</p>
<p>"Alright, in that case, we spare if we can," decided the lore bard, patting a comforting hand on her shoulder, "So… how do we do this?"</p>
<p>Eventually, Aloe, Polka, and Nene were sent forward to try and see if they could knock out some of the bandits before they did anything. So there they were, skulking around one of the more intact houses where the supposed priests were. They peered inside; holes on the floor, some holes in the walls, a large gaping hole in the roof as well as wrecked windows. The two priests seemed to have stopped praying and were now conversing with each other in the main room. It was a bit too far away and they were whispering. The group of three also didn't notice any visible religious iconography that showed what god they were affiliated to. One wore black robes while the other wore plain brown robes with a broken mask hanging from his belt.</p>
<p>"Okay, if we knock them out, we can stop them from healing," whispered the lore bard, "Then, maybe we can talk them into surrendering."</p>
<p>"Not unless they are that crazy to continue fighting," muttered the succubus. She then narrowed her eyes and continued, "That lady in the black robes feels off."</p>
<p>"Hey, I think we can climb in here," whispered the fennec fox monk as she pointed at a window she was looking through.</p>
<p>Aloe went through first, hovering through the window. Then, she and Polka helped Nene get inside. Finally, the monk climbed in as quietly as she could and they looked around. It was a small, personal room, probably for one person. A small table and chair were next to a bed, which creaked a little as the succubus stood on it when she pulled the lore bard in.</p>
<p>They almost panicked when they heard the creaking floorboards outside, signifying someone was heading to the room. Thinking quickly, the fiend ran to the door just as it was opening and the priest in the brown robes stepped inside.</p>
<p>"Look into my eyes," she said alluringly as she gazed at him, "Like what you see, handsome?"</p>
<p>"What- yes, mistress," he started to shout but quickly replied demurely as he went glassy-eyed on her.</p>
<p>"Nice!" whispered the other two.</p>
<p>She breathed a sigh of relief and muttered, "That was close." Then, she gathered herself and ordered, "Tell me why you joined these bandits."</p>
<p>"I wished revenge against the city guard for unlawfully killing my brother," he stated, "Many of us are not satisfied with their actions. We were gathered here by her, Nislak. She convinced us that preying on travelers will show how inept the guards were. The one outside is one of her apprentices, mean to-"</p>
<p>"Oi! What's taking so long!?" shouted a voice from further off.</p>
<p>She hurriedly ordered, "Step inside. Then, capture her while shutting her mouth."</p>
<p>"What in the hells are you doing back here, Leiran?" grumbled out the black-robed priest when she stepped into the doorway.</p>
<p>The charmed priest immediately charged and shoulder-checked her, knocking her into the wooden doorway, and then pinning her arms to her body while covering her mouth. However, she didn't stay quiet and began to struggle out of his grip. She squirmed a lot more the moment she noticed them. Polka quickly stepped forward and clocked her in the head with her portable cask. The priest in black slumped over unconscious.</p>
<p>"Alright, assuming she is the apprentice of Nislak, she must be the one in charge," Nene whispered to them, "Let's get her back to the city and turn her over to the city guards."</p>
<p>"Yeah, we can also tell them about the bandits here," added Polka, "Now that they are headless, they should be caught easily."</p>
<p>"Sister Loru, are you in there?" a voice called out loudly from outside.</p>
<p>"Why in the hells are there so many people coming to check on them!?" Aloe hissed exasperatedly. Turning to the charmed priest, she ordered, "Pass her to me when I go out the window."</p>
<p>As she hovered out the window, the fennec fox girl said with a grin, "Go, with her Nene. I'll handle this next one."</p>
<p>The lore bard nodded and jumped out after Aloe got the unconscious apprentice, which was passed to her after she got up from the ground.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, as the next person stepped into the doorway, the monk launched a gut punch. The mage doubled over in pain and she slammed her elbow into his neck. His body crumpled forward onto the floor. Then, she dove out of the window and tumbled onto the ground.</p>
<p>"Lie down on the bed," the succubus ordered before rejoining her friends.</p>
<p>She took the unconscious apprentice, and then they moved through the underbrush as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, she accidentally smacked her forehead against a branch and yelped in pain. The noise must have alerted the other bandits, as several loud voices started heading in their direction.</p>
<p>"Damn it," she cursed in annoyance. She then shouted, "Run!"</p>
<p>The trio quickly ran as fast as they could, bursting out of the forest. Telling the other two to run as well, the whole party ran down the path. Bolts peppered them as they ran, but by then, they were too far to hit. Huffing and puffing, they ran as far as they could, with the succubus flying half the way while lugging the unconscious body like a sack of potatoes.</p>
<p>"Haa, haa, I think we're far enough," wheezed out Nene.</p>
<p>Botan and Lamy didn't say anything. As they wore heavier armor, they were sort of overheating in some places.</p>
<p>"Haa, can we just walk..." groaned Polka.</p>
<p>"Wait… a bit," muttered Aloe.</p>
<p>Plucking the length of rope from the monk's pack, she landed and proceeded to tie up the unconscious apprentice, even threading a length of rope across her mouth. Satisfied, she slung the body over her shoulder and motioned to carry on. They continued to walk, making their way back to the city.</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome back.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>PekoMama is here! And almost immediately she embarrasses her daughter. Totally expected that. And after that little bit of funny, it seems Pekora knows Anya and by extension, her creator. The name Frisby I took from Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. I felt that it was fitting that an artificer and inventor who is a mouse-folk would be named after Jonathan Frisby, the hyper-intelligent white mouse of the book. Thus, the indefinite quest of upgrading Anya a.k.a. you can complete it at any time as long as you got the item/s to complete it. Now, as I have read and seen, artificers should have an easier time enchanting due to it being one step higher than infusions. Hence, the quest. After that, we meet Reine. In this here fic, she is Pekora's cousin. She is also the one in charge of the local branch of the adventurer's guild. So, they have a somewhat temporary main hub for their quests and the arc itself. So, first up, investigating some ruined village. For once, not much fighting. But, things are getting mysterious. A cult digging their claws into the city? Where have we seen that before? However, I can definitely say, there are no dragons involved. For sure.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, Holo5 will hunt for a cult. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0048"><h2>48. Chapter 48</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 48</p>
<p>As the darkness became more apparent, the fennec fox girl pulled out her driftglobe to light the way. Soon, the party reached the east gate and reported what they found out. By then, the apprentice had woken up and tried chanting a spell, but Polka smacked her with her portable cask and knocked her out again. After turning her over, they headed straight for the guild office, hoping to find out where they could arrange for lodgings for the night.</p>
<p>Thankfully, it was still open and Reine was still there, who greeted them, "Hello! Welcome back. Did you complete the request?"</p>
<p>As Lamy wrote down what happened, Nene asked, "Do you have housing here? Or if not, any good inns or taverns for food and lodging?"</p>
<p>"Ah! I see. Well, we actually do have housing," stated the peacock girl, "Just walk down the street and you'll see the sign for the Guild Dorms. It isn't a big one and there are only several small rooms. As for food, the tavern across the dorms should do. It's called the Chicken's Delight. Unfortunately, no chicken dishes. They serve great lamb though."</p>
<p>"Wow, thanks!" exclaimed the lore bard happily.</p>
<p>After the report was handed in, they said their goodbyes and headed straight for the dorms. It was a two-story building owned by a fox boy who introduced himself as Isaac. After picking out their rooms, they went to the tavern to take their dinner. They, as in Lamy and Polka, discovered that not only did they have great lamb dishes but also tasty spiced mead. By the time they left, the half-snow elf had taken a bit too much of the mead and the fennec fox girl had to help her back to the dorms.</p>
<p>"Welcome back. Had a bit too much, I see," Issac greeted jovially as they stepped through the doorway.</p>
<p>"You get used to it," stated Botan with a grin.</p>
<p>"Unfortunately," quipped the red-faced monk as the red-faced cleric let out an uncharacteristic burp, "She likes drinking and she always ends up like this. And I'm the one who's supposed to be the drinker."</p>
<p>"But you do it for training and toughening your stomach," pointed out Aloe.</p>
<p>"Well… maybe she's stressed out and this is how she lets go," he suggested with a shrug, "Anyway, I'll bring a spittoon for her to throw up in."</p>
<p>"Thanks for the help," said Nene gratefully.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The next day, after completing their morning routine, the party went to the guild office again. Reine greeted them with a welcoming smile.</p>
<p>"Well, what will it be today?" she asked, "Will you be taking another request?"</p>
<p>Glancing at the board, which already had a few members looking over it already, Nene stated, "Well, we'll let them take their pick first. We can wait."</p>
<p>"Oh, that's very considerate of you," she praised them.</p>
<p>They moved off to the side to wait for the adventurers to disperse. However, a few minutes later, a heavily armored man stepped inside the office and made his way to the counter. After a whispered conversation between him and the peacock princess, he moved on to talk with them.</p>
<p>"Hello, I am Quin, head of the royal guard," he introduced in a low tone, "I have received word that some wayward cult is sowing dissent in the populace. Your group is the one that brought in the bandit priest yesterday, correct?"</p>
<p>"Yes, we are," replied the lore bard, "Do you need any help from us?"</p>
<p>"Perhaps," he answered with a nod, "From our interrogations, they have been using the unhappiness of the populace to form bandit groups all over the kingdom. Interestingly enough, we also discovered where the leader of the cult, Nislak is hiding. We wish to have you go in and cut the head of the snake."</p>
<p>They blinked in astonishment for a moment. "I don't think we have ever done this before," she admitted freely, "I'm not sure how we can do this."</p>
<p>"Hmm, it would be difficult then, as the guild here doesn't have anyone here who has links to any assassins," he stated with a frown.</p>
<p>"We can try and infiltrate the cult," suggested Aloe, "I mean, we have some acting ability, right? Maybe then, we can find out more than just taking the head."</p>
<p>"Yeah… maybe even find out where the other bandit groups are," supported Botan, "We can take the cult apart better that way."</p>
<p>"That can work," the royal guard agreed with a nod, "Hmm, but how will you begin to infiltrate the cult?"</p>
<p>They fell silent, trying to figure out how to go about it. Then, Polka smiled, "Sir Quin, how do you feel about a jailbreak?"</p>
<p>Stunned, he demanded calmly, "Explain."</p>
<p>"We can pretend to save the bandit priest. Then, she can take us to their base and leader," she explained.</p>
<p>"Ooh, tricky. I like," cooed the succubus.</p>
<p>"But she saw our faces," stated Nene with a frown, "I'm pretty sure there is no way she will follow us, of all people."</p>
<p>"Hmm, but she didn't see Lamy and Botan," pointed out the monk with a grin.</p>
<p>Said two looked at each other and said incredulously, "You want us to break her out?"</p>
<p>"Yup!" she stated confidently, "We can follow sneakily to their base."</p>
<p>"I refuse."</p>
<p>The royal guard captain glared at the monk sternly as he stood tall, "I will not allow any jailbreaks to occur in my city, sanctioned or otherwise."</p>
<p>"Hng, that goes out the window," she muttered dejectedly.</p>
<p>"Not to mention they… wait, did the bandits from yesterday get apprehended yet?" asked the lore bard.</p>
<p>"A squad was sent out this morning," he stated, "They have not returned yet."</p>
<p>"I was thinking that if they were taken in, so they couldn't join up with another bandit group and tell anyone else about us," she reasoned, "Then, we can find another group who doesn't know us and maybe… persuade them to bring us to their leader."</p>
<p>"Hmm, that is a valid plan," he stated with a nod, "Very well, perhaps think of other backup plans in the meantime. I shall send word to you when the squad returns."</p>
<p>With that, he turned around and left the building. By then, the adventurers crowding around the bulletin board had cleared up, leaving several requests behind. However, all those were disregarded. They had something larger given to them and they had to do something about it.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Later, the party received word from the captain that the squad had returned. Unfortunately, not all the bandits survived. They had a conjurer with them that lost control of their fire elemental that burned half their number to death. The rest were rounded up after banishing the elemental and thrown in the lockup. After getting that confirmation, they went back to the board and picked up the first bandit extermination request they saw. Having done so, they got ready and left. Heading out the west gate, they headed west in the direction of the next town where there were supposed to be a bandit group.</p>
<p>They made sure to look a little more shabbily dressed. They left their money and other monetary valuables they didn't need to bring along with them with Reine, who was filled in with what was happening. Most of their things were easily hidden either in their pack or in plain sight, except Lamy, who wore a loose robe and hid her chuul shield on her back under it. It didn't take long for them to encounter a rather strange sight. A broken statue was on the ground, the arms and legs missing. Ahead of it were a hand and a leg. They followed the trail of broken parts and came across a wrecked carriage that had the door ripped off with two more statues on either side of the door.</p>
<p>"Looks like the carriage was attacked by the bandits," muttered Botan.</p>
<p>"Hmm, that means most of the stuff has been picked off already," muttered Aloe, "But maybe there's stuff they might have missed." She then tossed her pack on the ground and declared, "Wait for me. I'm going in to search the place."</p>
<p>"I doubt you'd find anything that the bandits haven't already found, Aloe," said Polka as the succubus headed straight for the open door.</p>
<p>"Hey, no harm checking, right?" she replied, looking into the darkened insides of the carriage, "What could go wrong?"</p>
<p>Suddenly, two pairs of glowing pale green eyes showed up inside the dark interior. Two roars and a scream later, the rest were drawn to the carriage, packs dropped and weapons drawn.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Basilisk!" Aloe screamed, feeling her limbs grow heavy and stiff as she averted her eyes. She grit her teeth as she did her best to try and overcome the petrification effect.</p>
<p>"I got you!" shouted Nene before she ran forward and pulled her away.</p>
<p>"Thanks, Nene," she said gratefully as she slowly got some feeling back in her limbs, "Don't look them in the eyes. You don't want to know how that feels." She then shouted in pain as the monsters came lumbering out and bit her in the legs. They had green, leathery skin with dark purplish spines running along their back and eight legs.</p>
<p>"Here I am!" exclaimed Polka as she appeared next to her with her eyes closed.</p>
<p>That didn't work all that well as she just flailed around blindly without hitting a thing. On the other hand, Lamy's magic and Botan's arrows fared better once they put some distance as they focused all their attention on one. With them attacking from range while the others ran interference, they quickly cut down the basilisks with ease.</p>
<p>After the battle was done, Aloe vomited off to the side. Even if the fire in her veins felt numbed off, she could still feel that sickening feeling in her stomach.</p>
<p>"Are you alright?" asked the lore bard as she rubbed the succubus on the back.</p>
<p>"Wonderful, actually," she snarked as she wiped her mouth. She straightened up and pat herself down, then looked over to what the others were doing.</p>
<p>"Wait a bit," said the monk as she took out her jar of ointment and rubbed her legs down while the cleric cast a healing spell on her.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the archer was busy examining the basilisk bodies. "Hng, can I borrow a dagger?" she asked the succubus without taking her eye off the bodies.</p>
<p>"Why?"</p>
<p>"I want to take out their eyes," she requested.</p>
<p>"...What?" deadpanned the latter.</p>
<p>"I heard from my shaman that some eyes have powers after death. I was thinking maybe we can dig out the basilisk eyes and keep them just in case," the former explained.</p>
<p>"Makes sense," quipped Polka.</p>
<p>"...You wipe them before you give them back," the succubus muttered as she handed over one of her daggers.</p>
<p>"Okay," the lion girl sounded as she dug into the skulls, trying her best to keep the eyes intact. Unfortunately, she was only able to dig out one eye without damaging it. Before handing the dagger back, she wiped it on the grass as best she could.</p>
<p>Aloe muttered her thanks before sheathing it. As she did so, a voice spoke up, "You seem to be capable ladies. Are you for hire?"</p>
<hr/>
<p>A figure stepped out from the treeline in front of them. They wore black robes that covered their body entirely, head covered with the hood.</p>
<p>"Maybe. Who are you?" asked Nene, assuming and deciding that maybe pretending to be mercenaries would be a good idea.</p>
<p>"Someone that wishes to free the land from oppressors," they announced as they approached, "The guards abuse their power and the nobles do nothing, even encouraging it. We must rise up and take back our land from the corruption that has infested the ruling class."</p>
<p>"What's in it for us?" pressed on the lore bard, "Will we be rewarded?"</p>
<p>"Greatly."</p>
<p>"Alright, I suppose we can," she stated after some thought, "How much?"</p>
<p>"That depends, of course, on your actions," the figure declared, "Perhaps a much more, quieter place to discuss your rates."</p>
<p>"Sounds good. Lead the way," she stated.</p>
<p>The robed figure bowed and headed into the forest. The party followed after them, wondering where they were going to go. They didn't know if they were walking into a trap or if they were just going to a nearby bandit camp. They were just trailing after this mysterious speaker. However, they suddenly stopped.</p>
<p>The figure then turned to them and said, "I am afraid you will have to be blindfolded. I will be bringing you to speak with my teacher."</p>
<p>"How do we know you aren't going to attack us when you blindfold us?" Nene demanded. Inwardly, she was a mix of nervousness and excitement. They were actually getting a chance to enter the main cultist base!</p>
<p>"I swear on the name of Talos, you will not be harmed before my teacher makes her offer," the figure swore as several armored bandits with black cloth strips in their hands stepped out from behind the trees.</p>
<p>Her eyes widened a fraction. She somewhat recognized the name. There was a story told by the shaman about a man wearing robes with three lightning bolts stitched on them. He went around, performing feats of destructive power, bathing in the blood of innocents before the adventuring party the elder was in before he became the tribe's leader killed him and stopped his rampage. From the subtle growling coming from Aloe, she must have figured it out too.</p>
<p>"Fine. We'll do it," she said aloud.</p>
<p>"You will be richly rewarded for your trouble," assured the figure as the bandits stepped forward to blindfold them.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Botan was thankful that at least they were allowed to move while hanging onto each other's shoulders while they were blindfolded. She kept her ears open for any trickery just in case though. She couldn't really tell where they were going but she could hear less and less of the sounds of the forest. It made her wonder where they were going. Then suddenly, they stopped. A few seconds later, the blindfolds were removed. To her surprise, they were in an open field, facing a modest-looking stone building that had a large hill looming behind it.</p>
<p>"Welcome to our place of congregation," the figure said as they pulled down their hood, revealing a wolf girl with dark brown hair, "Please, follow me."</p>
<p>She led the party up the stairs, the bandits dispersing and walking off. Glancing over her shoulder, she could see the treeline from far off. It looked like they were in a very large clearing. Inside, eight pillars lined the side of the hall. An engraving of three lightning bolts striking a single point was on the floor. On the far end of the hall was a wooden table flanked by two spiked braziers. There was a wooden door on opposite corners of the hall on the same side. The party reached the center of the hall before they halted.</p>
<p>"Please wait here while I get my teacher," the wolf girl told them before walking on ahead and going through one of the doors.</p>
<p>The party looked at each other nervously. They huddled around each other and discussed the situation.</p>
<p>"Nene, are you sure about this?" asked Aloe, "You know what we heard about this, right?"</p>
<p>"I'm sure. Just leave the talking to me if you don't feel confident about it," assured the lore bard.</p>
<p>"I think just being careful should be alright," spoked up the archer. However, she did wonder if this building was it. She expected more people here, maybe tents or other buildings around here as there should be a lot more than just one person.</p>
<p>"Hey, maybe if she comes here alone, we can capture her," suggested Polka with a grin.</p>
<p>"That is a very big if," stated Lamy with a frown, "And for all we know, she brings help with her. So, please do not take unnecessary risks."</p>
<p>Botan's ears twitched when the door the wolf girl went in creaked and opened. The robed lady then walked out with an older-looking bear lady who was heavily armored. They made their way over to them and stood there for a moment, scrutinizing the party.</p>
<p>"I am Nislak, high priest of Talos. My apprentice here tells me you are capable mercenaries," she stated sonorously yet sounding motherly and welcoming at the same time.</p>
<p>"We are. Your apprentice said we would be paid well if we helped you," spoke up Nene as she stepped in front of the others.</p>
<p>"Indeed you will," confirmed the high priest of Talos, "Perhaps even instrumental in taking down the royal guard and the nobles." She then gestured, "Come. Follow me."</p>
<p>They followed both priests into her room. It turned out to be a study of sorts. A few tables and chairs scattered about with a set of shelves mounted on the far wall. It was illuminated by candles mounted on either side of the walls. The bear lady gripped one of the tables and moved it aside easily, revealing a ladder leading down into the darkness.</p>
<p>"If you would please follow my apprentice, she will lead you to my study," the high priest stated, "I shall be with you soon."</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome back.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>So, I have a feeling this is going to be ridiculously long. Having the Holo5 party infiltrate a cult is not easy. Of course, before they are able to find the cult, the cult finds them fighting off basilisks. Now, granted, at their level, it is rated easy. But, getting surprised by a basilisk, let alone two, and overcoming the petrification is no laughing matter. Lamy doesn't have greater restoration yet so a setback like this is big. Luckily, Aloe passes her Con save. And then, Botan takes their eyes. One eye. Enough for one use. Hopefully, it stays fresh. Then, the party gets brought to a high priest of Talos. So, I decided on using this particular god of destruction for the certain chaos and bloodbath his followers potentially bring. Not to mention configuring the priest and war priest stat blocks to fit a follower of Talos. This basically involves lifting some stuff from the Tempest Domain to replace some skills and spells. Interesting times.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, Holo5 will join a cult. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0049"><h2>49. Chapter 49</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 49</p>
<p>They headed down the ladder and the apprentice priest led them down a flight of stairs to an open area with the symbol of Talos carved on the ground. Then, down two more flights of stairs to a common area. Several bandits and cultists were there, drinking and eating with weapons strewn about the place. To their right was the kitchen. They were led to the left; through a door and into a large hall, presumably used for gathering everyone in the base. Another flight of steps later, they crossed the empty hall and entered the left door on the far side. Past a metal door was a study.</p>
<p>"Please enter," she requested before stepping aside and letting them enter.</p>
<p>They looked around the place and took it in. The floor was wood paneling and covered with a single carpet. Two doors on the left side and a row of bookshelves full of books on the right. Right next to the door was an iron chest. Opposite the door was a desk and chair. On the desk were several books, a candlestick, a dagger, a stack of papers, an inkwell, and a quill.</p>
<p>"Any idea what she wants us to do?" Aloe asked the apprentice, who shook her head.</p>
<p>"I'm afraid I'm not privy to her plans yet," she replied, "I am just one of many apprentices. No doubt it will be having to do with undermining the royal guard."</p>
<p>"Why did you join her?" asked Nene, wanting to figure out the reason.</p>
<p>"My brother… he-" she began.</p>
<p>"My dear, I'm sure that these mercenaries don't really want to know your sad history," stated the high priest as she stepped into the study, "They only care about gold, after all. Please wait outside until I call."</p>
<p>"Yes, master," she stated, bowing before leaving the room.</p>
<p>The high priest took her seat at the desk and faced the party to address them, "Now, let us discuss rates."</p>
<p>Lamy then stepped forward and said, "Allow me."</p>
<p>As they discussed payment for their services, the party glanced around, hoping to find something that would probably count as evidence. Some notes or a map of sorts to tell where they are. No such luck at first glance. However, Aloe seemed to get a grim look when she looked at the dagger.</p>
<p>After the haggling was done, Nislak stated, "Now, as to what you are being hired to do. I wish to hire you to help with the assassination of the royal guard captain. Your pay shall reflect the difficulty of the mission, five hundred gold pieces each."</p>
<p>"That sounds very generous, high priest," Nene said with a frown, "Usually means it's very difficult."</p>
<p>"Infuriatingly so," the former agreed with a growl, "Difficult as the man is married to his job. According to my spies, he spends much of his time at the barracks and his office, constantly around other people. I will send you to the city to meet an assassin I hired. You will meet him at one of the less reputable taverns south of the city. He will wear a black cloak and will respond with 'Three times' to the question 'How many times does the lightning strike?' Will you do this?"</p>
<p>"Well, you gave us this much already. Yes," accepted the lore bard.</p>
<p>She gave them a rather overly eager smile, "Thank you. My apprentice will show you the way back." She then got up and moved towards the door. Opening it, she said, "Adrina, please guide them back outside."</p>
<p>"Yes, master," she responded. Motioning to the party to follow her, she led them back outside.</p>
<p>"You know, you mentioned your brother," stated Nene after they walked past the common room, "What happened to him?"</p>
<p>"Uh… yeah… but my master said..."</p>
<p>"Heeeey, look, small talk or not, we will be working together for the foreseeable future," interrupted Aloe as she threw her arm around the apprentice's shoulders, "So, answer the question."</p>
<p>"Uhm… well, he died when a killer was running around a few years back," she stated as they walked up the steps, getting angrier and manic-sounding the longer she explained, "The killer was able to escape capture, even killing two guards. They failed to bring him to justice. All because we were orphaned. I was alone until High Priest Nislak took me in and helped me see the truth. She told me that the guards are incompetent and weak. And after being taken in by her, I saw how strong she was. I will gain that strength, then hunt down the killer myself and have my vengeance."</p>
<p>"Even at the cost of everyone living in the city?" asked Lamy softly.</p>
<p>"They are weak!" she shouted as she turned to face them, her hands clenched so hard the white of her knuckles could be seen, "They let my brother die! They don't deserve to live!"</p>
<p>With that, she stormed off, climbing up the ladder in a huff.</p>
<p>"Nislak has already hooked her," muttered the half-snow elf.</p>
<p>"Let's go. We'll discuss this when we're further away from this place," stated the lore bard as she moved to climb the ladder.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Feeling the evening sun on their faces was a welcome one. Thankfully, they were shown the way back. They had to trek through the forest and it took almost an hour to reach the main road.</p>
<p>"Thank you for aiding us," Adrina stated gratefully, "May the tempest favor you."</p>
<p>After parting ways and making sure the apprentice was a long way off, Nene asked worriedly, "So… how do we do this? I don't want to assassinate anyone but I also don't want to get killed from this."</p>
<p>"It pains me to say this, but perhaps Polka was right," admitted Lamy with a sigh, "Maybe we should have ambushed the high priest. Then, perhaps we could have avoided all this."</p>
<p>"We can do this. One step at a time," stated Botan thoughtfully, "First, we should try and stop the assassination attempt. Maybe we can capture the assassin and interrogate him."</p>
<p>"Ooh, I'm game for that," agreed Aloe with a smirk.</p>
<p>"We should also let the captain know about this as well," mused Polka as she turned a cartwheel, "Then again, there are spies too."</p>
<p>"Splitting up again?" suggested the lore bard.</p>
<p>"Yes, splitting up again," replied the half-snow elf with a nod. Everyone else also agreed with that.</p>
<p>By the time they reached Silicasa, night had fallen and they went back to the dorms to rest. They will be having a long day tomorrow.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Nene and Botan stepped into the Lucky Piece. This was the third tavern they visited that morning. As usual, there was barely anyone there as it was not yet drinking hours. They looked around and spotted yet another figure in a black cloak. They sauntered up to him and sat down at his table. He was a scarred man. All sorts of marks and scar tissue marked his face and bare arms. He was nursing a mug of ale and he glared at them when they sat down.</p>
<p>"Whadda you want?" he sneered.</p>
<p>The lore bard leaned forward and whispered, "How many times does lightning strike?"</p>
<p>He glanced over his shoulders for a moment. After a pause, he leaned forward and replied, "Three times. You lot took ya' time."</p>
<p>She shrugged and said, "Not our fault there were three other taverns south of the city."</p>
<p>"Feh, right," he grumbled and took a gulp of ale. Wiping the excess on his arm, he continued, "So, are there any others or just you two?"</p>
<p>She glanced at the archer and nodded. The lion girl then put her fingers to her lips and whistled. The other three came in and sat at the adjoining table.</p>
<p>"Wot? A group of broads? Is this a joke?" he said in surprise.</p>
<p>"Got a problem with that?" asked the lore bard with narrowed eyes.</p>
<p>"Feh, if her bear-ness thinks you'd do, who am I to say anything," he grunted with a glare, "If you do your part, then I don't give a shit."</p>
<p>Downing the rest of his ale, he began talking about the plan. He repeated what Nislak had told them, however, he also said that the captain also doesn't stay at his office or at the barracks. He has his own tidy house near the north of the city, though not in the nobles district itself. They can ambush him on the way back to his house.</p>
<p>"Right, so where do we come into this?" asked Nene curiously, as the plan was a sound one, as unsavory as it is.</p>
<p>"I was getting to that," he grumbled, glaring at her, "You lot will be there to pretend to rob him. Then, just keep him there in one place long enough for me to shoot him. Now, in case that the poison doesn't get to him fast enough, you'll have to help me gang up on him. Simple as that."</p>
<p>"Good enough. When do we start?"</p>
<p>"Tonight. No point waiting around with your thumbs up your arse doing nothing," he grunted as he got up, "You broads do what you want in the meantime but we meet back here at sundown. We go over the plan one last time and then head to the streets. You got that?"</p>
<p>"I get it," she replied seriously.</p>
<p>He nodded at them and walked away. After a while, they got up as well and made their way outside.</p>
<p>"Lamy, can you write a message to Sir Quinn about this?" the lore bard asked as they made their way back to the dorms.</p>
<p>"If Isaac has any writing implements, I can. Why?" the cleric asked.</p>
<p>"We are going to warn him about this as well as maybe make a counter for this," she stated as they swiftly turned a corner, "We need to do this as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Polka needs to think up some musical routines."</p>
<p>"Eh?"</p>
<p>"You and I are going to make a scene," she stated with a smile.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The black and white world of the Ethereal Plane didn't phase Aloe too much. She was trained to jump in and out of it, after all. However, the fact that she could flit through what should be people unnerved her a little. Still, she continued wandering the guard headquarters of the city, trying to find the captain's office.</p>
<p>"<em>This is starting to get annoying</em>," she murmured to herself, hoping to find him soon.</p>
<p>Thankfully, she encountered him as he came out of one of the rooms. Peeking inside, it looked like it was his office. It was spartan in decoration save for the emblem of the guard displayed proudly behind a desk and chair. In front were several chairs and nothing else. She slipped in and took a seat, deciding to wait patiently for him to return. It didn't take too long, but it was long enough for her. He came in with another guard, probably someone directly under him. As they took their seats, she made her move and jumped back into the material plane. His subordinate jumped out of her seat and reached for her sword, but he held up his hand.</p>
<p>"Why are you here?" he questioned sternly, "You should be infiltrating the cult."</p>
<p>The succubus said nothing as she handed him the message. Warily, he took it and opened it up to read. As he did, he sometimes gave her a careful glance for a second. Eventually, he placed the piece of paper on the desk and he leaned on it on his elbows, steepling his hands.</p>
<p>"A strange turn of events," he muttered. Glancing at his subordinate, he ordered, "Sit down, sergeant." As she took her seat, he freed his hands and said, "I suppose you wish to apprehend the assassin?"</p>
<p>"Well… we will be turning him over to you, of course," Aloe stated, "We also have the location of the cultist base."</p>
<p>"I see. Well done," he praised but in his serious tone, it sounded flat, "Very well, it seems I will have to play the bait tonight." Turning to his sergeant, he ordered, "Get our trusted group ready. We will be storming their base as soon as we settle the assassin issue."</p>
<p>"Yes, sir," she stated. Standing up, she saluted and left the room.</p>
<p>Turning back to the succubus, he said, "Thank you for the information."</p>
<p>"No problem. I better get back to the others. Bye-bye," she replied. She then jaunted back to the Ethereal Plane, waving with a smile.</p>
<p>Slipping out of his office, she quickly made her way out of the building itself. Stepping out into the street, she smirked as she spotted Nene and Polka. Still at the street corner, the two were raking in a lot of attention and money. They had set up there beforehand while she snuck into the guard headquarters. With Lamy's blanket in front of them, they played songs and tumbled for the passers-by. A varied amount of copper and silver pieces were on it. There was probably a gold one or two in there somewhere as well. Smirking, she slipped into an alley and jumped back into the Material Plane. She then came out and tapped the lute-playing bard on the shoulder.</p>
<p>Nodding, she stopped playing and announced, "Thank you for your time, everyone. Thank you so much."</p>
<p>Polka and Nene bowed to the dispersing crowd, gathered up everything they earned, and hurried back to the guild dorms. They met back up with Lamy and Botan, who wanted to know what had happened.</p>
<p>"It seems your plan is coming together," stated the cleric with a smile.</p>
<p>"Mmm, let's hope the hunt goes smoothly," added the archer.</p>
<p>"Right, we should get some rest," said Nene, "We might have a long night."</p>
<hr/>
<p>The party met up with the assassin outside the Lucky Piece. Night had fallen and the tavern was quite noisy with drinking and boisterous chatting.</p>
<p>"Ready?" he asked gruffly.</p>
<p>"We're ready," Nene confirmed.</p>
<p>"Right, follow me," he ordered as he moved past them.</p>
<p>They headed northward towards the street border between the noble district and the commercial district. As they walked, they could see the lighters making their way down the opposite way, lighting up the street lamps with long-poled torches.</p>
<p>"In here," he said as he ducked into an alley. As the party followed him, he continued, "There's a lonely stretch of road on the other side here. He usually takes that road back. And since it's a long stretch, we can ambush him here."</p>
<p>"And what do we do to help?" she asked as they left the alley.</p>
<p>"Right, so, I'll climb up one side, your archer here can climb up the other. Then, if my poison doesn't work fast enough, she can do some backup pincushioning," he stated as he pointed to the other side of the street, "As for the rest of ya? Two to watch one exit and two to watch the other. Then, you can box him in quite nicely when I whistle for it. And up to you who goes where. Any questions?"</p>
<p>"Nope. The plan sounds good," she replied. Turning to the others, she tossed out, "So… I'll go with Aloe and Lamy goes with Polka, okay?"</p>
<p>"Yosh," sounded off Botan as they moved out.</p>
<p>The bard and the succubus went round the left while the cleric and the monk went round the right. Meanwhile, the archer ran across and up the side of the building before climbing the rest of the way. The assassin grunted and scaled up his own building. After settling down in their preferred spot, they waited. They didn't have to wait for long.</p>
<p>The faint clink of metal on stone. The muffled grunting. The royal guard captain trudged down the street in a calm and stoic manner. The half-snow elf and the fennec fox girl waited for a little bit before trailing behind him. As it was a straight street, the other side caught sight of him immediately and they moved towards him as well. Everyone came together and stopped at the center of the street. The captain glanced behind him and looked at the people in front of him.</p>
<p>"Do you need help with anything?" he asked sternly before gasping and making as if to stumble a little.</p>
<p>He didn't fall. He reached to his shoulder and wrenched out the bolt from the side of his neck.</p>
<p>He growled, "He is here. Take him."</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome back.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Truly such interesting times. Holo5 avoided getting in trouble early on, even if they could have taken out the leader of the cult. Nevermind. On another note, I've decided all groups of followers of the many different gods and goddesses that come up in this setting are cults. And pretty much only the gods and goddesses with evil ties are looked upon with suspicion and so more likely to be secretive. Those that are actively spreading death and destruction are given special, deadly attention. </strong>
  <strong>On the other hand, some places follow domains instead of alignment. Places like the healing temple in Rivirapolis, for example, are open to those who follow those under the life and peace domains, regardless of alignment. Other smaller places like the shrines are generally open to all as long as you don't bring harm to the attendants.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>As to their cult mission, well, they meet up with the assassin in Silicasa. After getting the game plan from him, they quickly inform the captain of the royal guard. Later that night will be the ambush. The assassin will definitely get a surprise attack off before they roll initiative.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, Holo5 will try and capture the assassin. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0050"><h2>50. Chapter 50</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 50</p>
<p>The assassin ducked out of the way, avoiding the arrows being sent his way. He glared at Botan, as well as the others on the ground level.</p>
<p>"I fucking knew it," he stated loudly as he reloaded his crossbow, "Figured you were going to try some bullshit like this. Luckily, I got some help. Get 'em!"</p>
<p>Three other people suddenly appeared from out of nowhere. Two were armed with a rapier and a dagger each and clad in darkened leather armor. They attacked Aloe and Nene, striking and stabbing with their weapons. The third had a quarterstaff and wore a simple dark blue robe. He chanted a spell and rained bolts of energy on Polka. They started fighting back; the bard and the succubus taking on their opponents while the monk took on the wizard.</p>
<p>"Hurry, Botan," called out the lore bard as she continued to parry the rest of the attacks, the archer sounding a confirmation as she continued peppering the assassin with arrows.</p>
<p>"Damn archer," he growled out, shooting Aloe in the shoulder, while said person shouted in pain.</p>
<p>With a loud warcry, the captain charged forward and ravaged Nene's attacker, who then whimpered and retreated with his tail between his legs.</p>
<p>"Do you see me?" the wizard taunted after chanting and gesturing outward. Three other mirror images appeared next to him. All four were now shimmering slightly, the duplicates being indistinguishable from the real one.</p>
<p>"Fuck!" shouted the assassin as his arm got sliced open by a spectral sword while the other dual-wielding attacker got her legs frosted over by the cleric.</p>
<p>"Take this!" Nene shouted as she popped up into being next to the surprised man. She had run over to the building and stepped through the mist and reappeared on the roof next to him. She tried stabbing him with her rapier but he tossed his crossbow at her. Grunting in pain as one of Botan's arrows gashed the bridge of his nose open, he drew his dual shortswords and made like a whirling dervish.</p>
<p>"Try this on for size, stupid broad," he shouted as he wounded her in the arm. She followed with a cry of pain as the fast-acting poison on his blades took effect.</p>
<p>"Guh," she grunted out as she got a hold of herself and parried away the rest of his attacks.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the captain went over to the other dual-wielder and went to town on her as well. As that one ran away, the illusions continued to hamper Polka and stop her from taking down the wizard. The smirking illusionist and his duplicates moved to the side of the road and cast more magic darts at her.</p>
<p>"Argh," groaned the assassin as the spectral sword stabbed him in the shoulder. He was looking quite worn down and yelled as he got stabbed in the other shoulder.</p>
<p>"I suggest you surrender," she offered to him, making sure to maintain her guard as she did so.</p>
<p>"Fuck this, I'm leaving," he muttered as he got an arrow in the leg.</p>
<p>However, as he turned to run, the lore bard reached out and hooked his leg with her foot. He crashed down hard on the tiles and she quickly went up and kicked him in the head, knocking him out. Nene let out a sigh of relief and looked down to see what was happening.</p>
<p>The captain had gone over to the illusionist and commanded, "Surrender. You are surrounded. If you surrender, you will be treated fairly."</p>
<p>After some thought, the remaining duplicate disappeared with a puff of smoke and he held his hands up, "Fine, I surrender… I hope you let me keep my money."</p>
<p>The captain scoffed as the monk held his hands behind him. He then looked to the rooftops. Nene waved sheepishly while Botan was now scaling down the wall. Lamy had run over to heal Aloe, who was now flying to the roof to help carry the assassin down.</p>
<p>He nodded and ordered, "Well done. Follow me to the barracks. We have rooms for them. Then, get some sleep. We have a long day tomorrow."</p>
<hr/>
<p>The next day, they met up at the captain's office. His bandaged shoulder and neck visible under his dress uniform, he sat at his desk deep in thought. The rest were either standing or seated on the chairs in front of the desk.</p>
<p>"I think after our stunt last night, they probably know we're spies," spoke up Botan.</p>
<p>"Yeah, Nislak did mention they had spies in the city," agreed Polka.</p>
<p>"If that is the case, it will be difficult for you to return to their base," stated Quin as he stared at them, "And we are already planning on attacking them today."</p>
<p>"...The prisoners are still here, right?" asked Aloe. Getting a nod from him, she continued, "Well, maybe that wizard can help us. He might be able to make us invisible."</p>
<p>"Even after locking him up, you believe he will help us?" asked Lamy in surprise.</p>
<p>"We can offer to let him go?" added the succubus with a sheepish smile.</p>
<p>"We can offer to let him go and pay him for it," suggested Nene with a grin, "Give him something he won't be able to refuse."</p>
<p>"I suppose… who will pay him?" asked the half-snow elf.</p>
<p>"Me."</p>
<p>"Alright, let him hear our offer," she quickly stood up and headed to the lock-up.</p>
<p>Snickering and grinning, the other four quickly got up and followed after her. Shaking his head, the guard captain got up and did the same. They headed straight for the lock-up, where they found the illusionist and the assassin in separate cells. They went to the wizard's cell, who stood up and grabbed the bars.</p>
<p>"So… can I go now?" he asked hesitantly.</p>
<p>"Perhaps," Quin said sternly and then gestured to the party, "However, they have an offer to you."</p>
<p>"You turned those guys invisible, right?" asked Nene as the captain stepped aside.</p>
<p>"Yes… why?"</p>
<p>"Can you make us invisible too?" she asked as she gestured to the rest of the party, "We need to sneak into the assassin's employer's base and… make sure they don't know the royal guards are coming."</p>
<p>He looked at each of them, uncertainty very obvious on his face. Then, he replied and explained, "Look, I can't put invisibility on so many people. I can make three people invisible at the most. Any more and it gets too taxing to keep it up."</p>
<p>"Hmm, then how about just make three of us invisible?" she suggested with a frown, "Though, that means you'll have to come along with us to keep the invisibility. But you'll get paid for it after the captain's mission is done."</p>
<p>"I don't mind doing that. Beats staying in here," he agreed.</p>
<p>"Right… so, Aloe can do that shape-shifting thing, right?" she asked her friend. Getting a nod from her, she continued, "That leaves one of us needing to sneak inside without magic help..."</p>
<p>"You know… why not you?" asked the succubus with a grin, getting everyone's attention. She then continued, "I could always morph into one of those bandits we met before and take you in as my captive."</p>
<p>"That is… not such a bad idea," admitted Lamy in surprise.</p>
<p>"Cool. That could really work," cheered Polka.</p>
<p>"That's risky. In this case, I think we need to take this kind of risk," agreed Botan with a nod.</p>
<p>"Very well. If your planning is done, we can commence with the operation," stated the captain as he motioned the guard over. Pointing at the illusionist, he ordered as he pointed at the cell, "Release him. We will have need for his magic."</p>
<hr/>
<p>Outside the barracks, they joined up with a few squads of armored swordsmen led by a sergeant. She saluted to the captain as everyone stood at attention.</p>
<p>"At ease," he ordered before addressing them, "Sergeant Karin, I place you in charge of this mission. This group will lead you there." Gesturing to the party and the illusionist, he continued, "Then, they will enter first to make sure all are unaware. Then, you will commence the assault regardless of whether they report back or not. Round up and capture who you can. Anyone who responds with violence will have to be put down. Go now and complete your orders."</p>
<p>"Yes, sir!" she shouted as she saluted. Turning around and facing the squads, "About turn!"</p>
<p>She hurried to the front, the group following her after the captain nodded to them. She then gave the order to march and everyone moved out and headed out of the city. They moved in the direction of the cultist base. However, the further they went from the city, the misgivings in Nene's mind grew louder. How the cult would probably see them coming. How they were not making any effort to hide anything. How they were out in the open for all to see.</p>
<p>"Sergeant Karin? Is it possible to let us go ahead?" she asked, "I'm just worried that we will be spotted earlier than expected."</p>
<p>"I suppose it makes sense," the guard stated after considering it, "Very well, you still need to make sure to send the wizard back to us."</p>
<p>"You got it," she agreed.</p>
<p>The lore bard then got the party and the illusionist together to go on ahead. They kept to the treeline and once they were suitably far ahead, the wizard cast Invisibility over Lamy, Polka, and Botan. Then, Aloe transformed into a random bandit she had seen before and tied Nene up with the monk's rope. And after sending the illusionist back to the marching column, they headed straight for the cultist base. They encountered a bandit patrol but they were ignored after the polymorphed succubus said she was bringing a prisoner to the base. And then, she casually mentioned that she saw a merchant party around northwest of here. This drew the patrol's interest and they actually thanked her for it.</p>
<p>"Nice, Aloe, very nice," said the lore bard with a grin.</p>
<p>"Making things easier to take the cult down through underhanded means. That's all," she stated with a grin.</p>
<p>Moving past the second treeline, they headed straight for the lone building. Strangely, nobody was there. Nonetheless, they headed straight for the side room and with some difficulty, Aloe and Nene moved the desk after untying the bard. The others couldn't as they were scared that the spell would break if they did anything strenuous. They headed down and much to their surprise, nobody was in the common area. It was all quiet except for the crackling fire in the kitchen, which didn't have anything cooking at that time. Peering into the left door turned up nothing.</p>
<p>"Where could they be?" wondered the lore bard in confusion.</p>
<p>"Hmm, maybe you can wait here while we scout out the place," suggested Botan, "We are still invisible after all."</p>
<p>"Oh, good idea," agreed the succubus, "We can sit here and make sure nobody else passes by."</p>
<p>With that, they split off.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Polka went down the left side as she went south. The flight of stairs down led to an armory of sorts with armor racks, shelves for weapons, a target dummy, and a wooden target on one side for target practice. Two side rooms revealed a weapon storage and shield storage. Then, a set of double doors. She could hear a lot of voices coming from the next room. Pushing the door open a crack, what she heard chilled her to the bone.</p>
<p>"They have betrayed us!" declared Adrina at a stone table. She was surrounded by the bandits and cultists that probably were staying here, who were cheering and jeering.</p>
<p>"Thus, our high priest says they must be punished," she continued to shout over the din.</p>
<p>The monk looked around, wondering what she could do. Since the door opens outwards…</p>
<p>"Her informants say that they will be heading back here eventually. So, I say this."</p>
<p>She strained as she pulled the targets over in front of the door.</p>
<p>"We shall capture them and sacrifice them to Talos."</p>
<p>This exhausted her a little but she persisted. She then pulled over the armor racks and pushed them against the targets. She did the same with the target dummy.</p>
<p>"The high priest shall lead us up the hill and present them to him."</p>
<p>She then emptied out both storerooms, tossing all manner of weapons and shields at the doorway to complete her makeshift barricade. Feeling quite tired, she took a quick swig from her cask and headed back to the common area. As she went up the stairs, there was a din as the double doors started shaking and loud banging was heard coming from the room.</p>
<p>"Who blocked this door!?"</p>
<hr/>
<p>Botan and Lamy moved quickly, making cursory looks through the doors they spotted. All of the rooms were empty; the dorms, the holding room, a personal room, a library, another drinking room, and a long passageway that they didn't know where it went.</p>
<p>"I guess they are gathering somewhere," stated Botan as they hurried back to the main common room.</p>
<p>"I wonder… they must be down the other branch," mused Lamy worriedly, "I hope Polka is alright."</p>
<p>As they reached the room, they found their friends; two on guard and one invisible monk breathing heavily. Aloe had transformed back to her true form in the meantime.</p>
<p>"Polka, are you alright?" asked the lion girl.</p>
<p>"Yeah, hah, yeah. I trapped, hah, them in, hah, down there," she replied in between breaths.</p>
<p>"Good idea, Polka," praised Nene, "Did you see everyone there?"</p>
<p>"Hah, yeah, hah, but, I didn't, hah, see Nislak."</p>
<p>"Hmm, where could she be?" muttered the half-snow elf in confusion.</p>
<p>Suddenly, a spectral wolf came walking down the stairs. It had a bluish tinge to it and it crackled with electricity. It went past them and straight towards the grand hall to the right, phasing through the door like it was nothing. The party looked at each other for a moment before running after the wolf. Throwing the doors open they went down the stairs and into the grand hall. There, they found High Priest Nislak standing at the center surrounded by four spectral wolves. She was armed with a spear that also crackled with electricity.</p>
<p>"I see only two of you came," she stated aloud as the wolves started growling at them, "What happened to the others?"</p>
<p>"They're… around," said Nene, keeping her answer short before whispering to Aloe, "Can you help protect me while I sing?"</p>
<p>"Sure," she whispered back while quietly motioning the others to spread out and get ready, "As long as you stop her from banishing me. She can do that."</p>
<p>"I was sorely disappointed that you decided to betray the cause," the high priest said casually as if talking about the weather, "A pity. From what Adrina told me, you were quite strong and worthy of Talos' blessing. But it seems you are lacking."</p>
<p>"Really? I doubt that telling the people that the only way to take control of their lives is to kill the guards," she shot back.</p>
<p>"How else do you expect to show your power?" the bear-folk replied as she took out an eyepatch and wore it on her face, "Still, I do not expect you to understand true power. Come. I will have to show it to you personally."</p>
<p>"Under pressure, walls closing down on me, surrounding my life, looking down on me..."</p>
<p>"A simple song won't stop the might of Talos," boasted the high priest as she pointed her spear at them, the singing drawing the growling wolves ire.</p>
<p>"What about this!?" shouted Polka as she punched her in the face.</p>
<p>"Enough!" the bear-folk shouted as she blocked another punch but got smacked in the face with a foot as the monk cartwheeled away, moving between the snapping jaws of the wolves.</p>
<p>"I am blessed by Talos!" she declared as a faint green glow bathed her body before she moved in to attack the fennec fox girl, thrusting forward her spear with both hands.</p>
<p>The wolves followed suit as she struck the monk in the side. Then, the drunken monk ducked out of the way of the first wolf, but the second bit her in the lower leg and zapped her at the same time. She shook it off just in time to grab the third and threw it into the high priest, who got bitten in the hand as she shoved it off her. The monk then avoided the fourth's snapping jaws by pushing it away with her hands. The other two then broke their invisibility; Lamy called out for her goddess' blessing of guidance while Botan peppered the wolves with arrows.</p>
<p>"Let's go, Aloe," encouraged Nene. The succubus nodded and they went in to take out the wolves, hoping to take them out before going after the high priest.</p>
<p>Polka had the same idea, punching furiously in a flurry of blows, taking one out. However, she was interrupted by another stabbing by the high priest. Nislak then summoned a spectral spear which shot at Lamy, getting her in the leg.</p>
<p>"Now suffer within the swirling tempest!" she declared as she slammed the butt of her spear on the ground before jabbing it skyward. Spectral demonic-looking spirits suddenly appeared and swirled around her that reached out to claw at the bard, the succubus, and the monk.</p>
<p>"Raging storm of snow and ice, rain your hail down on my enemies!"</p>
<p>Snowballs rained down on her and the wolves next to her, disrupting her concentration, causing the specters to disappear. This allowed them to kill off more wolves, each one falling over and fizzing out when they died.</p>
<p>"It seems I must dig deeper," the high priest growled as she reached for the sky and chanted, "Great Talos, grant me your favor and show these fools your might."</p>
<p>The party was suddenly swarmed with loud buzzing spectral locusts that started gnawing on their exposed flesh.</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. It is close to the climax.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>So, sneaky, sneaky. Time to turn the tables on the assassin. Things are done easily, though things came very close to going south. They successfully captured the assassin as well as the illusionist. After some simple persuasion the next day, the wizard is ready to help them. Then, they lead the group of royal guards to the cultist base. Holo5 goes on ahead, all according to plan so far. Aloe has a persuasive moment here. Then, Polka. Good idea, future ringmaster! Fancy a barricade? Then again, moving heavy objects still give her some consequences. I hit her with two exhaustion levels. Then, the boss of this story arc.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>For Nislak, I took the war priest stat block from Volo's Guide to Monsters, took out all the War Domain stuff like the given spells and features, and replaced them with the Tempest Domain spells and features. Except for the Channel Divinity option. Also included 3 legendary actions since boss monster. I mean, without the legendary actions, it's just another high priest. The one-cost is Discharge, AOE lightning damage effect needing a Dex saving throw. The two-cost is Thunderstruck, a move and attack option. The three-cost is just a self-heal like a unicorn's self-heal.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>For the wolves, I named them spectral storm wolves. you can change -storm to other effects to signify different elemental properties. Yes, this is an elemental monster. Just for this fight and just for Talos. I took the worg stat block and added several things; increased hit die, telepathy to the summoner, elemental immunities to lightning and thunder, extra lightning damage to the bite attack, and the AOE lightning effect without the Dex save. Only this time, it's called Static Burst and it stops affected characters from using their reactions until the start of their next turn. And made the elemental wolves CR 2.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, we finish this battle. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0051"><h2>51. Chapter 51</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 51</p>
<p>Aloe growled in annoyance as she batted the locusts away and pulled off a few that latched on to her. However, before she could move, the insects suddenly disappeared with a buzz. As the cloud cleared up, she noticed that Nislak was missing.</p>
<p>"Thank you, Botan," she heard Lamy call out. Did she take out the high priest?</p>
<p>Mentally shrugging, she joined Nene and Polka in taking out the wolves. All but one fell, that one almost snapping its jaws on her arm as it lunged at her. Then, they heard Lamy shriek. They turned and found her getting electrocuted by the high priest, who blocked the cleric's mace with a bare hand. They wanted to go up to help but the high priest suddenly ran towards them in a buzz of electricity. The bard narrowly avoided the spear that was thrust at her stomach.</p>
<p>"You will be trouble," Nislak stated as she set her sights on the succubus. She pointed at her, chanting, "I cast you back to the Nine Hells."</p>
<p>"Your god won't help you this day!" shouted Nene, countering the banishment.</p>
<p>"You dare!" she shouted furiously, her spell disrupted. She ran around the bard and tied stabbing her in the back, around the same time the remaining spectral storm wolf howled and unleashed a wave of electricity.</p>
<p>Aloe grit her teeth as she, Polka, and Nene got electrocuted. She glanced at the monk, who fell over unconscious.</p>
<p>"Guh, this is starting to suck real bad," she muttered under her breath as the lore bard got shocked again when she healed the cleric as she finished off the last wolf. The succubus then ran up to the distracted high priest and raked her claws over her face.</p>
<p>Nislak shot her a heated glare as she raised her spear skyward and chanted, "Feel the power of Talos."</p>
<p>Slamming the butt of the spear on the ground, a loud thunderclap rang in her ears as she was buffeted by a blast of sound. She instinctively braced herself against this; Nene wasn't so lucky and she was thrown back from the high priest.</p>
<p>Laughing in satisfaction, she charged at the bard and stabbed her in the shoulder, shouting, "Surrender, you fools! Join us and help us bring change to this weak land." The succubus tried to scratch the high priest as she moved but her claws only raked the plate armor.</p>
<p>"Keeping the peace is not a sign of weakness!" the lore bard shouted in reply as she was able to stab her arm but her body shook as the electricity shocked her body.</p>
<p>"Hah! Talos protects those who are worthy!" she declared as the succubus tried attacking from behind, discharging another electric field around her. She then stabbed the bard in the other shoulder; and then raised her hand into the air and shouted, unleashing the same field two more times, shocking the both of them.</p>
<p>Aloe staggered back, her body shuddering and jerking a bit too much for her to bear. As she glanced up, her eyes went wide as she saw the bard get tripped and stabbed in the back.</p>
<p>"No… need Lamy. Lamy," murmured the succubus frantically as she staggered away, running up the stairs and going past the spectral weapons.</p>
<p>Cradling the half-snow elf's head, she pulled a healing potion from her belt and poured the healing liquid shakily down her throat. A bit spilled out but most of it went in. Her eyes still remained closed. Thankfully, she was still breathing but she wasn't stirring.</p>
<p>"No, no, no, wake up please," she muttered anxiously. Hearing a roar, she looked up. The angry lion girl archer was busy trading blows with Nislak.</p>
<p>Then, she had a wild idea. Something so crazy, so desperate, it might work. If it did, she might be able to distract the high priest long enough for backup to arrive. She ran and jumped off the side of the stairs, using her wings to hover through the air to land. She made sure to stay out of sight from Nislak before she transformed into Adrina.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Such a pity," muttered Nislak after she chanted the words for her Spare the Dying spell and stabilizing the lion girl, "So much promise. Wasted on protecting the weaklings."</p>
<p>She got up to her full height. Her armor still remained firm though it was now decorated with a few holes and a few arrows that stuck out of her back. The holy robe she wore underneath was stained with her blood. The blade of her spear was stained with theirs. She then turned around and was surprised at the presence of Adrina.</p>
<p>"Apprentice? What are you doing here?" she asked in confusion, "Have you seen a succubus here?"</p>
<p>"I'm afraid I have not. Perhaps the fiend became a coward and ran away," the apprentice suggested.</p>
<p>"I can certainly see that happening," she agreed after some thought, "She was very ineffective."</p>
<p>"Also, high priest, we are under attack by the royal guard," she stated as she bowed her head, "But we are fighting back and so far, are evenly matched."</p>
<p>"Good. It would be a good time to separate the wheat from the shaft," stated the former with a wry smile, "Come, apprentice. We must go and judge some weaklings."</p>
<p>"...High priest, may I confide in something?" the latter asked hesitantly.</p>
<p>"Speak, but be quick. There is a fight to win," allowed the high priest.</p>
<p>"May I have a kiss?"</p>
<p>She blinked in surprise. Not once had she ever had a request from Adrina. And now she is asking for a kiss? Strange. Is it normal for youth to ask of these things?</p>
<p>"Explain."</p>
<p>"I… have lived here under you for some time now," she explained as she blushed, "My admiration for your strength has grown much in the past few months. And… I have been having misgivings as this feeling grew. Is it just admiration or… something more… like infatuation? That is why… I want to kiss you, my high priest. Just to figure out my feelings."</p>
<p>She chuckled, thinking that this was merely something a youth would go through. Then, she said in a motherly tone, "Young apprentice, a normal person would be flattered by such a thing, but we serve Talos, Mighty Lord of the Tempest, not some goddess of love and fertility..."</p>
<p>"Then, please let me have this kiss?" Adrina pleaded, "If only to show that what I feel is merely simple admiration rather than weak infatuation."</p>
<p>"Hmm, what you say, oddly, makes some sense, even if it sounds a little far-fetched," Nislak mused. With a sigh, she said, "Very well. I shall give you a kiss. Approach."</p>
<p>The apprentice came near shyly, the distance between them slowly decreased. They closed their eyes as the former leaned forward and touched lips with the latter. The apprentice then snaked her arms around suddenly to pull the former closer for a deeper kiss.</p>
<p>"Strange, why..." the high priest thought as her injuries suddenly flared up.</p>
<p>A third red flag appeared when she suddenly felt her body getting weaker but she still didn't move to break the kiss. She opened her eyes and they widened when she saw not her apprentice, but the succubus, on her lips. She struggled weakly, clawing at the fiend's arms and her head but to no avail. She then flared up what magic she could muster in her body in spite of the heaviness of her eyelids. She could feel her strength failing as the lightning field manifested and bathed the succubus in its shocking embrace. Slowly, her eyelids closed for the last time.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Aloe let go of the gaunt body and screamed loudly, falling to her knees in pain. Her whole body felt like it was being torn apart. As if someone or something was pouring pure holiness into her. As she collapsed to her side, she could hear heavy footfalls coming in her direction as well as a lot of shouting. Soon, Sergeant Karin's face filled her vision.</p>
<p>"What… here?" she asked, presumably, but her ears still felt fried and it rang loudly as well.</p>
<p>"Nislak," she muttered softly as she pointed at the drained body.</p>
<p>"He-er! Get… healer!" the guard sergeant looked up to shout.</p>
<p>The succubus wheezed a little before closing her eyes, her breathing steadying, tired by all the commotion. She hoped everyone was alright.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Lamy opened her eyes to find herself in an open area surrounded by forest. It was a beautiful glade with a multitude of flowers dotting the place. She felt herself on her back and her head on a lap. She looked up and found herself eye to eye with a perfect beauty.</p>
<p>"Milady?" she asked, partly in shyness but also in awe, "I thought..."</p>
<p>"You may not be in love currently," she stated with her silvery, soothing voice as she stroked her hair, "But your love for your friends is no less important." With a smile, she continued, "I saw everything. Did you know the fiend tried to save you, even if she didn't know much?"</p>
<p>The shocked half-snow elf mulled about this fact. She hadn't been the most welcoming to Aloe due to what she was and she was slow to warm up to her. But after her actions right now? Maybe… she could treat her better.</p>
<p>Her goddess smiled and nodded approvingly, "Love will always find a way to heal others. Let your heart guide you, my dear. Now sit back and rest. You need it."</p>
<p>Taking her advice to heart, Lamy relaxed and enjoyed the calming presence.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Nene woke up with a start. Looking around, she found herself in her dorm room in Silicasa. Strange. The last thing she remembered was fighting Nislak… she was trying to get to Lamy when she was struck down. Calming down her breathing, she got out of her bed. Her belongings were still here. A sigh of relief later, she went downstairs, dressed in her day clothes. Downstairs, she found Isaac seated at the dining table, reading some papers.</p>
<p>"Hello, had a good sleep?" he greeted her, "I was quite surprised when the guards showed up here with you lot over their shoulders, demanding to know where your rooms are. After some explanation from Miss Reine, I gave them all the help they needed."</p>
<p>"Oh… so how long was… were we sleeping?" she asked, a little scared of what the answer would be.</p>
<p>"Well, they brought you in yesterday, so I guess one day," he summed up.</p>
<p>"Oh..." she trailed off, falling silent in contemplation. If everyone made it out alive, that means they won? But how?</p>
<p>"Ahh, that reminds me," spoke up the fox-folk, drawing her attention again, "From what that sergeant told me yesterday, you five need to meet up with the captain when you wake up. So, best go and check up on your friends, yeah?"</p>
<p>"Sure, I can do that," stated the lore bard with a smile.</p>
<p>The first room she stopped by was Lamy's. Her room… how is it raining flower petals in here? After shaking her awake, the rain disappeared. After telling her the news, she went to Botan's next. Thankfully, nothing odd was happening in the room when she woke the archer. Then, she went to Polka's room. Same as before. The last room was Aloe's. Nothing strange in her room either, thankfully. However, she didn't seem to want to wake up. She was also shuddering a little.</p>
<p>"Hey, are you alright?" Nene asked softly as she shook the succubus.</p>
<p>"Ah, hi," the latter whispered in reply as she stirred away, "Hey, Nene. Oof, I feel tingly all over."</p>
<p>"What is going on here?" asked Lamy as she stepped inside, already prepared to go out. She then got a look of confusion on her face and came closer to the bed to ask, "What happened to you, Aloe? It feels like...you have been touched by the divine."</p>
<p>"Well… after she took out Botan, I disguised myself as Adrina," said Aloe hesitantly, "And then… I convinced her to kiss me willingly. And I used my kiss to kill her." She sighed and continued, "It was… painful. I think she used the last bit of magic she had to zap me. And now that I think of it, my head is full of stuff right now. I think I know a lot more spells than I used to."</p>
<p>"...I think this is the first time I ever heard of this," muttered the bard with a frown.</p>
<p>The cleric sighed as well, muttering, "This was not what I expected either. But… if you did absorb some sense of her power during your kiss, then… I guess I can try and help you figure out what you took."</p>
<p>"That will have to wait," stated Nene, "We have to go and meet the captain, so get ready to go out, Aloe."</p>
<p>Half an hour later, they were in his office standing in front of his desk. He was seated there and standing next to the desk was Sergeant Karin. Seated off to the side was the illusionist that helped them.</p>
<p>"I read through the sergeant's report," he stated, gesturing to a sheath of papers in front of him, "Now, I wish to hear your account of what happened in the cultist base."</p>
<p>After they gave their explanations on what happened, he stood up and walked around the desk, saying, "After Sergeant Karin found you and evacuated you outside, she found the room you sealed the cultists in. Most of them surrendered. A few of them tried fighting their way out and were knocked unconscious with extreme prejudice."</p>
<p>Standing before them, he stated sternly, "On behalf of the guard, we are grateful for helping us solve this particular problem. I'm afraid I do not have a suitable reward for you at the moment, but should you ask for help, we will do everything in our power to help."</p>
<p>"Well, I guess that is good enough, sir," Nene spoke up, "We aren't exactly hurting for money… yet, so this is fine."</p>
<p>He nodded and went back around his desk to sit. He then gestured to the wizard and stated, "He awaits his payment."</p>
<p>"Ah, right."</p>
<p>The illusionist left the office three hundred gold pieces richer. The party left the office in high spirits with an assurance of help from the royal guard. Not much monetary value in it but it may help with manpower or any investigations they might need to do. They returned to the guild office and faced Reine. The moment she saw them, she ran around the counter and gave each of them a hug.</p>
<p>"Gods above, I was so worried when Sergeant Karin turned up and told me what happened," she said in a motherly tone as she hugged them, "Are you feeling better now?"</p>
<p>"Well… we are all fine now that we had some rest," stated the lore bard with a sheepish smile, "But… Aloe came out with something extra."</p>
<p>"Ah, yeah. For some reason, I got some knowledge of some spells from the dead cult leader," stated the succubus as she avoided the branch leader's eyes, "I don't know how that happened but it was very painful."</p>
<p>"Hmm… I suppose you wish to figure out what you got?" mused the peacock princess.</p>
<p>"I shall be helping her," spoke up Lamy, getting a nod from her.</p>
<p>"While she is helping her, maybe we can go around and look for an enchanter to buy stuff from," suggested Botan, "Or maybe get Pekora to enchant our stuff."</p>
<p>"Umm, do you think we can visit my village?" asked Polka, "After we settle everything here?"</p>
<p>"Sure we could!" exclaimed Nene, "I mean, we went to Botan's, so why not?"</p>
<p>"Yahoo!" cheered the fennec fox girl as she cartwheeled all over the place, drawing much laughter from the others.</p>
<p>"Well, I am glad all is well with you and your friends," stated Reine with a smile.</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome back.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Nislak pretty much trashed them. And I expected that. With the addition of the Legendary Actions, she is higher than CR9. But, I did this on purpose. the high priest performed as expected and her health was low enough to give Aloe a chance to power up.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Why?</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>As of now, I have yet to give Aloe any adventuring levels despite having enough for a level 8 Bard with the Tough feat. She has no Bardic Inspirations. No spells learned except Identify, and technically Disguise Self and Charm (succubus mechanics). So, with the Draining Kiss taking in parts of Nislak's soul, I can give her more spells to use(make use of the bard spell slots). She will get Healing Word, Lesser Restoration, Shatter, Dispel Magic, and Freedom of Movement. Of course, there will be some things that will be easy and difficult for her. Lamy will help her understand what spells she got and how to cast them. However, spells that need components would mean that somehow, she either needs to find a suitable spell focus or a component bag to carry reagents. Learning pains.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, Holo5 will get some R&amp;R and maybe jump into the next arc. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0052"><h2>52. Chapter 52</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 52</p>
<p>The rest of the day was taken easy. While Lamy and Aloe secluded themselves to figure out what sort of spells the succubus 'inherited' from Nislak, the rest decided to look around. The first stop they dropped by was Pekora's workshop.</p>
<p>"Konpeko, Konpeko, welcome to- hello! What brings you here again?" the artificer greeted them the moment they stepped inside, "Have you found either material?"</p>
<p>"Not really… but, we have this basilisk eye," said Botan as she held up a squishy, leaking glob.</p>
<p>She made a face and pointed to the stairs, angrily saying, "Drop it down the toilet! Go!"</p>
<p>As the lion girl hurried upstairs, the rabbit princess turned back to the other two and asked calmly, "Okay, so any reasonable requests? And one at a time. Enchanters can't do multiple at a time and an artificer isn't all that different."</p>
<p>"Umm, I guess… me?" piped up Nene as she stepped forward with her rapier, "Can you enchant my rapier?"</p>
<p>"Yes, I can!" she declared. Then, she asked, "While I'm handling this, do you have a back… wait, you still have Anya, so I guess you're covered. Okay, come back in five days and I'll be done."</p>
<p>"Uh… alright, I suppose," the bard replied hesitantly as she handed over the rapier.</p>
<p>"It will be fine," she assured with a grin.</p>
<p>After saying goodbye, they headed off to the market to look around. There weren't that many things interesting even though they found many different kinds of adventuring gear for sale. There was one minor altercation with a pickpocket but Polka had that handled well enough as she took back her money pouch.</p>
<p>"What do we do now?" asked the lion girl after they left the market.</p>
<p>"Well, it's getting late so meet up with the others at Chicken's Delight?" suggested the fennec fox girl.</p>
<p>"Yes!" the lore bard agreed with a grin.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"So, we figured out a few spells today," Lamy told the rest as they took in their meal, "She has a bit of each; healing, disease removal, freedom of movement. A very good range of things."</p>
<p>"That's great," exclaimed Nene before taking a cut of lamb.</p>
<p>"Erm, we also almost blew out the walls of the house," Aloe admitted sheepishly, "I think I also got something like your explosion of sound, Nene."</p>
<p>"That can help quite a bit," praised Botan, sounding impressed, "Sounds like the spells are all over the place. I guess we're lucky that we didn't stick we fought her."</p>
<p>"Yeah, and after all that, from what I can feel in my head, I have one spell left," stated the succubus with a frown.</p>
<p>"No worries," assured the cleric after taking a mouthful of her drink, "I shall pray for guidance tonight and perhaps I shall be given some insight as to how to help identify that spell."</p>
<p>With all that settled, they moved on to other topics to go along with their dinner, including their meeting with Pekora. After everything edible and drinkable was polished off, they went back to the dorms to turn in for the night. However, sleep was not fitful.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The sound of water dripping was quite loud, loud enough to wake Nene. She sat up with a start and was surprised to find herself on a warm, sandy floor. She was in a cave illuminated with glowing green moss over its walls. Gingerly, she got to her feet and looked around. She spied a foggy exit to the cave, the wisps of fog flowing out from the bottom of the entrance. As she took steps near it, she could see the wisps of smoke flowing out and dissipating into the air.</p>
<p>"Woah, do I go through?" she wondered aloud in surprise and wariness. Yet, something inside her was telling her to step into the foggy barrier, even if her instincts were telling her to be careful.</p>
<p>After some contemplation, she made her decision and stepped into the fog. Suddenly, she found herself seated at a large table with all her friends, with a teacup and saucer in front of each of them. Around them was an inky void dotted with twinkling lights. And the person serving them tea was Priestess Ina'nis.</p>
<p>"Hello, and thank you for coming to my tea party," she greeted as she poured the tea for the surprised party members.</p>
<p>"Er… you're welcome?" muttered Polka.</p>
<p>"Humu, humu," the priestess sounded as she set the teapot down and took her place at the head of the table. Clasping her hands and placing them on the table, she then said, "Now, I wish to ask for your help. There-"</p>
<p>"Apologies for the interruption, but should you not go through the guild?" asked Lamy, getting over her surprised state, "It might be possible to request certain groups through the guild."</p>
<p>"Perhaps," she replied with a nod but proceeded to explain, "However, sending a request from here to Silicasa will take a long time. My request to you has a certain urgency to it. Now, on the main continents, there is a hidden place southwest of the main cities where my cult seals things we prefer not to see the light of day. If you intend to ask, the one near Rivirapolis is still sealed. However, the one near Silicasa has been broken into. I do not know who, but I believe the intruders have died due to the traps and guardians placed there."</p>
<p>"What was sealed in there?" asked Botan.</p>
<p>"I shall have to dig further through the records to find out what was sealed there," she informed them, taking a sip of her tea, "If you can find any clues to what was there, that will help me to figure that out. So, will you please go there and cleanse it, so that it can be reused again? Then perhaps, we can reseal what was in there in the first place."</p>
<p>"Alright, we'll do it!" declared Nene as she stood up, her chair tipping over and falling on the ground.</p>
<p>"That itself is a little worrying," muttered Aloe softly at the same time. Then, she asked in a louder tone, "Well, like she said, we'll do it. When do we start?"</p>
<p>The priestess chuckled and said with an eerie smile, "Right now, of course. After you wake up. Oh, and succubus? Your last spell is for dispelling magic. Goodbye."</p>
<hr/>
<p>Nene woke up with a start. She was thankful to find herself in her own bed in the dorm room. She took a deep breath and thought back to what she dreamed last night.</p>
<p>"Was it all real?" she questioned herself as she got up and headed to the toilet.</p>
<p>She found herself lining up to use it with the others. Granted, while this was a dorm, there was only one toilet. However, she took this chance to question the others.</p>
<p>"Hey, Aloe, I had a dream last night and-"</p>
<p>"Creepy dream," the succubus immediately stated as the others looked at the two, "Unfortunately, I think it was real." With a shudder, she continued, "There were a few times when she was talking, I thought I saw shadows moving about her. Shadows darker than what was around us."</p>
<p>"You felt that?" asked Lamy with a frown, "There was something very off about her during the last words she said. Very off. But, when she talked about her request, there was a sense of urgency in her words. And should there be something dangerous breaking loose, we have to find out about it and let the relevant authorities know."</p>
<p>"Hey, Polka's gone in," said Botan as she walked past them, "I'll see everyone downstairs."</p>
<p>"Okay!"</p>
<p>"Älright, we get ready for the day and then figure out what to do," stated the half-snow elf, "Then, we make preparations for it."</p>
<hr/>
<p>After double-checking their stuff and buying what they need, they went to the branch office to let Reine know they would be leaving the city for a few days. Then, they hired passage to the southwest by wagon. However, much to their surprise, they were asked to get off after about half a day's journey. Much to their surprise, they were standing before a desert.</p>
<p>"Er, what?" muttered Nene in surprise.</p>
<p>"Sorry, but I can't take you past here," explained their horse-folk driver, "The wagon can't go through all that sand. Gets stuck and stuff, you know?"</p>
<p>The lore bard sighed and replied, "Yeah, I can see that. I should have asked first. Well, thanks for bringing us this far anyway."</p>
<p>"One tip when crossing, keep an eye out for the sand sharks," offered the driver as she steered the wagon around, "They say to run like hell when you feel the ground moving."</p>
<p>"Thanks for the advice," she said gratefully as the wagon went off. Turning back to the desert, she continued, "Well, I guess we have to walk."</p>
<p>"Obviously," snarked Aloe, but trudged along with them anyway.</p>
<p>Fortunately, having traversed a desert before, they were somewhat prepared for it; Aloe had a few extra waterskins. After a few hours of walking, they came up to an abandoned fort. They decided to take a few minutes to explore before moving on. It looked to be a minor fort, more of a large outpost, with thick brick walls and a single main building to the right of the entrance. The double doors had already fallen off and eaten away by time. Several tent skeletons were scattered around the compound along the left side, around a sizable pit. Inside it, there seemed to be a gate built into the stone foundation. They didn't bother with exploring the building as they assumed it was empty as well.</p>
<p>With nothing else to see, they continued on their way. After another hour, the sun had moved from its zenith and was heading to set. However, a few of them felt very faint vibrations on the sand.</p>
<p>"Do you feel that?" asked Polka in surprise.</p>
<p>"Feel what?" asked Botan curiously.</p>
<p>"The sand feels tingly," muttered Aloe with a frown.</p>
<p>"Wait, are we under attack?" asked Nene anxiously, "I mean, our driver said there were sand sharks."</p>
<p>"Look out!" shouted Lamy as two bulettes leaped out of the sand at them, jaws open wide.</p>
<p>They landed right in front of them, their jaws snapping shut and clamping down on the monk's and the cleric's arms while ramming the rest backward. The bard was the first to recover and the first thing she did was strum her lute and sing.</p>
<p>"Under pressure, walls closing down on me, surrounding my life, looking down on me..."</p>
<p>"Time for you to break and shatter! Be ground to dust!" chanted Aloe, clutching her new crystal focus as she pointed between the large monsters, causing an explosion of thunderous sound.</p>
<p>The blast staggered the beasts and caused them to release their jaws from the arms. The half-snow elf quickly retaliated, smacking her mace into its snout after getting up and calling forth a spectral sword. The fennec girl did the same, sending rapid punches into her enemy's side. The sand sharks were enraged and persistent; they continued to try and attack their chosen victims, opening their jaws wide for another bite. The cleric smacked her shield into its cracked snout as the first one snapped empty air.</p>
<p>The second one was much luckier, clamping down on the monk's whole left arm and it tried to drag her into the sand. She yelled out in pain and surprise before hammering on its armored snout in an attempt to get it to let go of her arm. Thankfully, it did let go, after an arrow landed in its eye. As it roared out loud, The succubus let loose another Shatter spell and the rest of the party went in while the sharks were disoriented. The bulettes did not survive.</p>
<p>The party stood there for a moment, breathing heavily. The heat of the desert didn't help. Then, Botan groaned.</p>
<p>"What's wrong?" asked Polka tiredly as Lamy healed her arm.</p>
<p>"Um… is it wrong that I want to mount this up as well?" the lion girl said sheepishly.</p>
<p>Everyone else groaned and sighed in response. "Okay… we can't carry this with us," stated Nene with a frown, "Umm, maybe we'll get attacked again and we can get something for you then?"</p>
<p>"Hng… maybe," muttered the archer as she nodded, agreeing with the statement.</p>
<p>"We better get to the sealed place. Then, we can rest a bit before going in to find out what happened there," reminded the half-snow elf.</p>
<p>"Right, right..." Botan continued to mutter as the party went on their way, leaving the bodies behind.</p>
<hr/>
<p>It was evening when they reached the entrance, which was built into a mountain. They took some time to rest before going into the open doorway. The stone doors were just opened outwards with no indication of what moved them. Inside, they followed a set of stairs down. Pausing to let Polka use her driftglobe, they ventured deeper into the dungeon. It wasn't as dusty as expected and Nene wondered why there weren't any odd prints in them.</p>
<p>"Was something really imprisoned here?" she asked out aloud before pointing out her observation.</p>
<p>"I have my misgivings… but let us look around before jumping to conclusions," reasoned Lamy as they reached the end of the stairs.</p>
<p>It was a circular room with four pillars that held up the roof. And scattered around the room were a lot of strange stone statues, several with oddly shaped hands. To their right was the continuation of the passage, leading deeper into the dungeon.</p>
<p>"Weird statues," muttered the fennec girl as they walked through the room, glancing at the strange statues as they walked past them.</p>
<p>"Wouldn't it be surprising if they suddenly… came… to… life..." trailed off Aloe as she stepped near one of the statues to get a better look when it suddenly moved its head and looked at her.</p>
<p>She shouted in surprise as it took a swipe at her, and as she yelled in pain, the other statues began to move. She then tried swiping it with her claws but the magic from the statue's hands surged through her body and both slowed her down while petrifying her from the inside. Calming down, she then focused on flushing out the foreign magic flowing inside.</p>
<p>"Tch, of course there are guards here," groaned Lamy as she brought back the spectral sword to help the succubus while she pointed a finger at another stone statue and sent a ray of frost at it after chanting. It stopped moving as it became frozen solid.</p>
<p>As Botan finished off the one attacking the succubus, Nene's voice rose in crescendo as a thunderous explosion of sound shattered two more stone statues. Meanwhile, Polka ran up to the nearest one and pretty much destroyed it after several punches.</p>
<p>"Woah," she exclaimed as she looked at the broken pieces in surprise, but then she yelped and jumped back as the last statue approached and swiped at her. It was then destroyed when the spirit weapon slammed into its head.</p>
<p>"Guh, I'm never going to say that again," grumbled Aloe as she kicked a fist-sized obsidian skull that was part of the stone remains of the statue.</p>
<p>"Well, it's good that we need to remember to be careful," stated Botan as she looked around at the other statues that didn't move, "The other statues were probably victims."</p>
<p>"Eee, creepy protection," muttered Polka with a shudder.</p>
<p>"...It makes you wonder what kind of cult Priestess Ina'nis is leading," said Nene, trying her best to get over her unease, "Well, we already agreed to help. Let's… let's go on in."</p>
<p>With that, they headed in deeper into the dungeon. The passage was another set of stairs, leading to another set of open stone doors. Past that was a curving passage leading to the right. There were also two side passages; one directly next to the doors heading to the right while the other was a short flight of steps that led to the left.</p>
<p>"So, which way?" the lore bard asked.</p>
<p>"Unfortunate that we do not have a map of the place," muttered the life cleric,</p>
<p>"Let's just go forward," suggested the monk, "We can worry about the sides later."</p>
<p>With the others in agreement, the party headed on to the curving passage.</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome back to the next arc.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lamy has offered to help Aloe with her little problem while the others visit Pekora. Most unfortunate that the basilisk eye is now rotten. Not very viable anymore. Nene will have her rapier being enchanted (upgraded) and so will be using Anya as her backup for now. However, what was supposed to be a time of rest and recovery, Priestess Ina makes an appearance. Very spooky setting when meeting her, hopefully. And thus, they get sent on another long quest. We get familiar encounters in different settings. And make use of a new monster.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, Holo5 will get into some trouble. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0053"><h2>53. Chapter 53</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 53</p>
<p>The party ended up in an elevated area overlooking an enormous room or a hall. Six large pillars loomed large, two of them flanking the short set of stairs that led down into a large area that had the other four that were arranged similar to the previous room. A large, patchy symbol that looked like a bush was in the middle of the floor. As they looked down the stairs, Nene looked behind them and was troubled by the statue that overlooked the hall. A large hooded figure with head bowed down with long tendrils of… something coming out of its hood. She couldn't tell if it was locks of hair or a well-groomed beard. However, a loud thud echoed through the hall and the party quickly ducked back into the passage. Then, they peeked around the corner to see what was trudging into the hall.</p>
<p>A large troll lumbered into the hall from the left side of the hall. Its skin was, surprisingly, rotting off with many parts of its body had patches revealing the inner muscle and bone. It sniffed the air for a moment before growling and turning to its left and heading out the other exit. The party waited with bated breath until the troll disappeared into the darkness. They let loose a sigh of relief.</p>
<p>"Okay, so… what now?" asked Nene worriedly, "If that is the thing that was sealed here..."</p>
<p>"It moved rather slowly, so maybe we might have some time to check out the hall," suggested Aloe with a smirk, "There's two doors off to the right side there that needs some checking out."</p>
<p>Thinking that was a good idea, they hurried down the stairs and immediately went straight for the two doors. They checked out the left door first; it was a flat surface with nothing on it. No keyhole. No lock.</p>
<p>"Eh? Is this a magic door like the one on the island?" asked Polka in confusion. Turning to Lamy, she continued to question, "Hey, Lamy. Can do that magic thing you did on the door?"</p>
<p>"I doubt I will have enough time to set up the ritual for this," denied the cleric.</p>
<p>"Then, maybe search where that troll came from?" suggested Botan, "We may still have time and maybe we might find out how to open these doors."</p>
<p>That definitely sounded like a good idea. However, after they turned around and hurried across the hall, the center of the hall suddenly lit up the moment they crossed the strange symbol on the floor. Before they could shout out their surprise, the party vanished.</p>
<hr/>
<p>With a buzz in the air, Polka and Lamy collapsed to the floor. They blinked and looked around as they got to their feet. It was a dimly lit and empty room with a sarcophagus in the corner with a doorway leading to another room. The monk ducked into the other room and was disappointed to find nobody else there. On the other hand, there was another sarcophagus there along with a large wooden chest. Across the doorway was a single torch that dimly lit up the room, lighting up the moment they were teleported into the room</p>
<p>"Well, that was annoying," grumbled the half-snow elf as she looked around.</p>
<p>Noticing the door, she walked over to take a look. Compared to the two doors she looked at earlier, this one had a hole on the left side.</p>
<p>"Hey, what are you looking at?"</p>
<p>She replied, "Polka, I think we need to search the place for a key. I think this is a keyhole."</p>
<p>"Ooh, good idea, Lamy," exclaimed the monk excitedly.</p>
<p>"Indeed."</p>
<p>They fell silent. The third voice came from behind them. Very slowly and very hesitantly, they turned around. A wispy, ethereal-looking humanoid with pale-grey skin and distorted face that sported hideous scars and bright, glowing eyes. Their eyes widened and the ghostly apparition shrieked incoherently at them angrily, its hair spreading out wildly and adding to the horrifying visage.</p>
<p>At first, Polka was shocked but had steeled herself. She had encountered ghosts before and horrific death had bothered her a lot. It still does. However, after her experience in the swamp that time, she was a lot calmer save for the time Anya scared her accidentally. Hence, she held her ground against what she figured out was a banshee.</p>
<p>Lamy was not so lucky. The moment the apparition shrieked, the cleric shrieked as well, bolting away from the door, and cowering in the corner of the room furthest away from the door and from the sarcophagus. The banshee blinked at the outrageous reaction, stunned for the moment. It then proceeded to glare at the monk, who unabashedly slipped into a fighting stance.</p>
<p>"Er... can we talk this out?" she asked right before the banshee wailed with all her might.</p>
<hr/>
<p>With a buzz in the air, Aloe, Botan, and Nene collapsed to the floor. They blinked and looked around as they got to their feet. It was a rather large-ish room with a few sarcophagi and large chests. Two sarcophagi were at opposite corners while the last one was positioned horizontally against the opposing wall to the corners. All there were arranged equally apart from each other like in a triangular position. One chest was between the two corner sarcophagi and directly opposite the third one. The remaining two chests were along the wall nearest to one of the corner sarcophagi. In the empty corners were various pieces of rubble that had fallen from the worn ceiling. Above the central sarcophagi was a single torch that dimly lit up the room, lighting up the moment they were teleported into the room.</p>
<p>"Gah, stupid teleportation circles in the middle of the hall," grumbled the succubus as she dusted herself off. She then went off to look at the other two chests off to the side.</p>
<p>"Hmm, a keyhole?" muttered Nene as she examined the stone door after getting up. There was a hole on its left side.</p>
<p>Botan said nothing but looked around the room. She then approached the central chest and looked it over. It seemed like an ordinary chest though, considering the amount of dust on it, it must be very old. She carefully brushed the dust off to try and find any identifying features. The top part of the chest was revealed to have an emblem similar to the symbol they saw in the middle of the hall earlier. She then touched the lock and it crumbled to pieces, prompting her to sound off in surprise. This brought the other two over to see what was happening.</p>
<p>As they gathered around the chest, the sarcophagi lids began to shift and move. The loud movement tore their attention away from the chest and much to their surprise and horror, three mummies pushed the lids away and were now getting out of the sarcophagi. The attention of the wrapped undead was fully focused on them and their glowing yellow eyes spoke of burning vengeance for disturbed rest.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The wail rang in Polka's ears even though she quickly covered them. It only lasted for a while before she uncovered them. Wasting no time, she quickly landed a few punches before the banshee could react. Her fists glowed an ethereal purple color as her strikes landed true. The ghostly apparition shouted in pain, much to her surprise. It tried grabbing her face but she leaned back and swayed out of the way. When that failed, it ducked into the wall. She blinked in shock before she noticed the same ghost coming out the other side and heading straight for Lamy.</p>
<p>"Oi, ghost! Your fight is here!" she shouted as she rushed in to stop it.</p>
<p>Snapping its head back with a flying knee, she sent several more punches at it. Most of it missed, save one, which struck its head again. After failing to trade blows with her, the banshee floated up to the ceiling.</p>
<p>"I will kill you and drain your life," it snarled angrily.</p>
<p>"Lamy! Come on! You have to get over this!" she urged her friend, ignoring what the ghost said.</p>
<p>"Ignore me, will you-"</p>
<p>The banshee got cut off when an inky spectral fist slammed into her face. A second punch crashed into its body.</p>
<p>"You can just shut up!" Polka retorted, "None of my friends are passing today. I'm making sure of it."</p>
<p>It shrieked in anger and shouted, "You! You! Your trinkets and baubles make you arrogant. What happens when I take them away!?"</p>
<p>It suddenly surged forward and tried pulling her amulet from her neck. Surprised, she grabbed its arms while it struggled to get a hold of Doris' gift. However, it could never hold anything as it suddenly exploded into ghostly mist. Glancing over to the side, she saw a shaky half-snow elf on her feet and hand outstretched towards her. The hand slumped to her side and she let out a breath of relief.</p>
<p>"Are you alright?" asked the monk as the cleric slowly walked over to the sarcophagus and looked inside.</p>
<p>"I… will be fine. We need to find... our friends," she stated in a wavering voice as she reached inside to pick up a long rod with some bumps on it, "Alright… we try this one."</p>
<p>The both of them hurried over to the door, with Polka helping Lamy to get there, and pushed the rod inside the keyhole, bump first. Twisting it a little triggered a click and the door shifted a little. Slowly pushing it outward, they peeked outside. They caught sight of the rotting troll walking out of the passage and heading to where it came from. It seems they were in the hall from before. The doors were actually the ones they were examining earlier.</p>
<p>"Any idea where they are?" whispered the fennec girl worriedly.</p>
<p>"I have no clue… but I have a risky idea," replied the half-snow elf, "Both of us step into the circle. Seeing that we got sent here, they might be in another room."</p>
<p>"Risky is right," muttered the former, "Alright. Let's try."</p>
<p>"I really hope I am right about this," mumbled the latter as they ran out of the room and jumped into the circle.</p>
<p>Polka found herself in the room again. Her eyebrow twitched in annoyance.</p>
<p>"What the-"</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Interlopers..."</p>
<p>A dagger landed and embedded into its chest. Arrows flew and missed due to sudden fear. All this did not deter the mummies as they got out of their sarcophagi and rushed them down. Nene was frightened but she quashed it down and sharpened her focus. Ducking under the mummy's fist, she stepped through the mist and reappeared next to the central sarcophagus with a word. She brandished her lute and started singing. At first, it was an uplifting song, the magic in the song bolstering and steeling the nerves of her friends against the fearful undead. After a few lines, she swapped songs to sing about debilitating her enemies.</p>
<p>However, in spite of this, the wrapped undead seemed to be winning. A few lucky blows almost did Botan in, even after she roared and transformed. The ceiling wasn't high enough for Aloe to fly and attack from range, and one of her wounds started glowing an eerie green.</p>
<p>"Watch out behind you!" she called out.</p>
<p>The lion girl roared out her thanks as she dodged out of the way. The lore bard then prepared her voice. Playing a note, she sang a single note, rising in crescendo. An earth-shattering explosion of sound erupted, blasting the two mummies attacking the archer.</p>
<p>"Be relieved," chanted Aloe, a green glow washing over the archer, as she swiped the chest of a mummy.</p>
<p>"We can do this!" roared Botan as she swiped the mummy in front of her as well.</p>
<p>"Watch out!"</p>
<p>The first punch missed. The second from the other mummy hit true. Nene shouted in horror as the lion girl crumpled to the floor. She let off another sound explosion and ripped the two mummies to pieces. Suddenly, Lamy appeared in the room. Almost immediately, she knelt down next to the archer and started healing her. The succubus assisted with her own healing and brought her back thanks to her help. Growling, the archer got to her feet while picking up her magic bow. Taking aim, she filled the mummy's head with arrows, causing it to keel over as the magic animating it got disrupted.</p>
<p>"Oh, my goddess. I beseech you, grant this boon to your servant," the cleric chanted as she extended her arms to the side, palms facing up with her eyes closed, "Lend us your aid and healing to your most beautiful protectors."</p>
<p>Healing washed over the lion girl and the succubus, bringing some relief to the former but some minor wincing from the latter.</p>
<p>"What's wrong?" asked the half-snow elf while Nene went and checked over Botan.</p>
<p>She hissed and motioned to her side, where the wound was still glowing that sickly-green color, "I do feel better, but this seems to flare up when I get healed."</p>
<p>After taking a closer look, she narrowed her eyes and stated seriously, "This is… mummy rot. Hold still, I think I can remove this." She then placed her hand over the wound and chanted, "My goddess, hear the pleadings of your servant and remove this curse of pain and suffering."</p>
<p>Her hand gained a soothing, white gleam and the green glow slowly receded until it disappeared.</p>
<p>Aloe let out a sigh of relief and said, "Thanks, Lamy."</p>
<p>"And we found the key… I think," spoke up Nene as she pulled a bumpy rod similar to what was found by the cleric earlier.</p>
<p>"Huh, some nice stuff in here," announced Botan as she opened the chest with the broken lock.</p>
<p>"Perhaps we should leave them there," stated the half-snow elf, "I think they are the reason the mummies got up in the first place."</p>
<p>"There's some stories on how these kinds of things are cursed too," quipped the lore bard as she opened the door and pushed it outwards.</p>
<p>"Okay, no. Once is enough," declared Aloe as she headed to the open door, both her and the lion girl swearing off touching those things.</p>
<p>Outside, they walked down a short flight of stairs down into a long passage. To their left, they could see the hall where the teleportation circle was. To the right, a short way before rounding a corner. As they discussed what to do, Polka ran down the passage and after a few seconds, rejoined them.</p>
<p>"Move! We have to move! That troll is heading back here!" she whispered as loudly as she could as she reached them.</p>
<p>The party then ran down the right path and turned the corner. They followed the way and around another corner, coming across a chest and another stone door. The door, the same as the others, had no keyhole on their side.</p>
<p>"What are we going to do?" asked Nene as she grabbed her head in despair, "If there's no way to get through the door, we're trapped."</p>
<p>"Guh, there has to be some secret way of opening this," muttered Lamy as she ran her hands over the stone door and the doorway, hoping to find some hidden switch.</p>
<p>"Rah… Hmm, nothing in here," Botan told the others after kicking off the lock on the chest and opening it.</p>
<p>"Shh! Keep it down," hushed Polka worriedly, "Any louder and it'll hear us."</p>
<p>Aloe, keeping silent for that moment, finally had enough and aimed her crystal at the door, "Lamy, move. I'll use that spell to explode the doors."</p>
<p>"What? No, stop," protested the cleric as she grabbed the succubus' crystal, "If you blow it up, then there is no way of stopping it from following us. Just help me find the secret, and we can get in and close the door behind us."</p>
<p>"Look, we can just blow up the door and once we are inside, we can blow up the doorway and collapse it. Easy," she hissed back, trying to convince the half-snow elf over to her side.</p>
<p>"Makes sense," quipped the lion girl in agreement.</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"I'll help," added the lore bard.</p>
<p>"But-"</p>
<p>"Whatever is happening, make it happen now," warned the fennec fox girl, quickly leaving the corner, "It's coming."</p>
<p>"Ah, screw this. I'm-"</p>
<p>Before the succubus could finish, the stone door suddenly opened outwards. Eerie green light shone out from the interior and a voice said, "I rather if you do not-"</p>
<p>Immediately, everyone ran inside. Once that was done, Botan immediately slammed the door shut with all her might, crashing with a boom and a faint click.</p>
<p>"How annoying."</p>
<p>They looked to the owner of the voice, who had gotten out of their way. He wore a rich blue cape and flowing green robes, though now partially tattered, seemed to have resisted the ages much better than expected. Gold bracelets on his wrists and a golden circlet on his head with the very front of it in the shape of a cobra. Girded to his side was a scimitar, its pommel a cobra biting down on a precious gemstone. An emerald, it looks like. The man himself was wrapped up in cloth and bandages with green glowing orbs in place of eyes.</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome back.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The place was kind of large. The troll roaming around didn't help. And, Unfortunate for them, the doors of the hall seem to be... faceless. It doesn't help that the party was suddenly split by a strange circle. In one room are Lamy and Polka. In another are Botan, Aloe, and Nene. As we have seen in many of their 'horror game dates', Lamy scares easily but recovers quickly with the 'husband' around. She does not have the luxury right now. So, it falls to Polka, which honestly went pretty well for her. On the other hand, the other three did not fare too well with the mummies. It took some creative thinking by our shaken cleric to reunite the party.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Successfully leaving the room, they hear the troll coming back. Running down the other way, they reach a dead end as well as a door. As they made hurried discussions on what to do, the door opens.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, we get to know about the mysterious stranger and the identity of what was supposed to be imprisoned here. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0054"><h2>54. Chapter 54</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 54</p>
<p>The party was immediately on their guard and brandished their weapons, and in Polka's case, got into her stance.</p>
<p>The mummy then shook his head and sighed, "I did not let you inside my abode to fight you. If you would please calm down, everything will be explained."</p>
<p>"Sorry if we don't trust you," apologized Nene but without putting away her lute, "But we already fought some mummies, so if you can understand..."</p>
<p>He nodded in understanding and walked over to his sarcophagus while saying, "Very well. Thankfully, the magic currently sustaining me has preserved my mind somewhat. Perhaps if you found me a hundred years later, I might not be so welcoming. Very well, ask away. I will not hide anything if I can help it, unless it pertains to my cult's business."</p>
<p>"Well, we were asked to check up on this place by Priestess Ina'nis and-"</p>
<p>"Ah, my priestess is still well? Are you members?" he asked with a wry smile. Getting negatives all around, "I see. I suppose I can at least tell you what used to be imprisoned in here."</p>
<p>"And how do we address you?" she asked as she put away her lute, signaling the others to do the same. They cooperated… except Lamy, though she did lower down her mace.</p>
<p>"Ah, yes, how rude of me," he apologized, "My name is Rah'zevim, former priest of the cult of the Ancient One."</p>
<p>A little confused as to what the Ancient One was, she asked, "So, what was sealed here?"</p>
<p>"An abomination, for lack of a better word," he muttered out with distaste, and then explained, "A failed experiment. It was sealed here to prevent it from causing any harm. However, it has the ability to cause madness and confusion. While we were blessed with resistance against such things, it still caused havoc and cut down many of our number. At the very least, it was relatively easy to seal it."</p>
<p>With a sigh, he continued, "However, I should have foreseen it would have been too easy to unseal it as well. I didn't know what happened, but I could hear the screams of the damned through the walls. By this time, many of my supposed attendants have failed to arise properly to defend the place and as you may have encountered, lost their minds. A most unfortunate thing, but I dared not leave the chamber in fear for my body. When I finally did go out to check, barely anything remained. And thus, I had to restore some semblance of order to this place even if the abomination has left due to certain… compulsions."</p>
<p>"Like the moving statues near the entrance?" asked the cleric.</p>
<p>He nodded. The grip on her mace became tighter. That's all she did as Botan placed a hand over her shoulder, calming her down a little.</p>
<p>"If you wish to recapture it or reseal it, I am afraid the vessel is destroyed. Destroying it would be the sole option," he then informed them, "Apologies for not offering more."</p>
<p>"Well, perhaps offering another kind of help would be good?" suggested Nene.</p>
<p>He nodded again and gestured around the room. Chests around the room unlocked and creaked open magically as he stated, "Very well, I shall be generous this time. You may take one item from my belongings here."</p>
<p>There were six chests in all. Two had various kinds of potions, one had spell components and crafting reagents, and the rest had an item in them; a book, a wand, and a cloak. The cleric refused to take anything. The archer took a potion, the blue liquid inside bubbling and steaming as if boiling. The monk took the book, the tome having the picture of an outline of a meditating person radiating with light. The succubus took the cloak, colored green and intricately woven with a hood attached. As for the bard…</p>
<p>"Erm, may I know what this is?" asked Nene as she held up a sealed glass jar of dark, thick liquid.</p>
<p>"That is black ichor, the liquified essence of a daemon or a yugoloth," he explained.</p>
<p>"Oh! I'll take this then," she stated cheerfully as she stuffed it in her backpack.</p>
<p>"Hmm? Are you sure you don't want anything more useful?" he queried in confusion.</p>
<p>"I'm good," she replied with a grin.</p>
<p>"...You humans are bewildering, sometimes," he muttered under his breath, unable to fathom her reasoning. He then clapped once and stated, "Once you have what you want, you may leave."</p>
<p>"Urm, there is a troll roaming around outside, what do we-"</p>
<p>"Perhaps you can leave it alone?" interrupted Rah'zevim as he moved to the other entrance, a set of double doors, "That is the only protection I have left."</p>
<p>"Well… if we don't bump into it, I suppose we can leave it alone," mused the lore bard.</p>
<p>"About the only thing I can ask for," he stated as he waved his hand, opening the doors.</p>
<p>The moment the party stepped outside, the doors closed smoothly, the mummy resealing himself inside. Without a word, they walked down the steps and walked across the small crossroads. However, a loud roar drew their attention to their left. At the top of the stairs was the rotting troll.</p>
<p>"Alright, we better try to knock it out?" stated Nene as the troll charged at them.</p>
<p>"Time for you to break and shatter! Be ground to dust!" chanted Aloe, clutching her new crystal focus as she pointed at the troll, causing an explosion of thunderous sound and made it flinch to stop it in its tracks.</p>
<p>Polka and Botan threw in their own ranged attacks as well, the archer whispering to her arrow a bit before releasing. Unfortunate that both got batted away by the recovered troll.</p>
<p>"Welcome to your silent tomb, Where all your darkest fears are gonna come for you, Come for you."</p>
<p>The haunting words of bard's song echoed through the passage. The troll stopped in its tracks for a moment before howling in terror, gripping its head as if in pain. It then turned around and ran off into the darkness.</p>
<p>"...Run!" exclaimed Lamy, the first to get over their collective astonishment.</p>
<p>Her words spurned them on and they quickly ran up the other side. They made their way back to the entrance in haste and collapsed tiredly on the cracked stone slabs of the floor right before the entrance that led to the desert.</p>
<p>"Phew… hopefully, the troll doesn't chase after us," groaned the succubus as she slumped to the ground on her knees.</p>
<p>"Well, I suppose we can camp out here," stated the cleric, noticing the sun had already gone down.</p>
<p>The rest agreed and while Nene set up the hut, Polka used her globe to shed some light over them while they ate some of their packed food. When she was done, they joined her in the hut for the rest of the meal. After that, they turned in for the night.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Her eyes flew open and she gasped. Nene came close to panicking before realizing that she was breathing in the water she was submerged into. Looking around, she saw that she was alone. Very confused, she then swam upwards; hopefully, able to find the surface. Suddenly, a tentacle grabbed her ankle and started pulling her down. Feeling that this would be the best time to panic, she struggled and tried kicking it off. Not much effect. She had no weapons on her. No equipment. Just her normal clothes. The tentacle pulled her deeper, her mind getting more frantic and scared. She tried pulling it off but it held firm. By then, she was screaming inwardly, frightened out of her mind.</p>
<p>As the inky blackness engulfed her, she suddenly found herself hanging in the air upside down. The tentacle was still around her ankle and she noticed that it was actually growing from the grassy ground. Looking around, she saw her friends were in a similar predicament; Botan and Polka were hanging from their waists, Lamy was restrained by her arms, and Aloe was wrapped up in tentacles. All of them were breathing heavily with haunted looks. No doubt she was making the same sort of face. Again looking at her surroundings, the grassy ground was part of a clearing surrounded by forest. Suddenly, everyone was dropped on the ground and the tentacles seeped back into the ground.</p>
<p>"Hello."</p>
<p>They looked up and found Priestess Ina'nis looking down at them. They quickly got to their feet and faced her.</p>
<p>"I see you found the dungeon prison," she stated with a smile, "And discovered the prisoner's identity."</p>
<p>"Wait, how do you know that?" asked the fennec fox girl in surprise.</p>
<p>The priestess giggled and placed a finger to her mouth, then she said, "Now, as the faithful Rah'zevim has stated, you will have to kill the prisoner. I have no doubt that you are up to the task. And I have a feeling you will be encountering it quite soon. Humu, humu, humu."</p>
<p>"Er… do you know where it is?" asked Nene.</p>
<p>She stared straight at the bard and gave her a creepy grin, "Let's just say it likes hiding in dark places. But don't let that fool you. It is strong enough by itself. Be wary. Triumphant pride precipitates a dizzying fall."</p>
<hr/>
<p>She woke up with a start. Day had come and the sun streaming through the doorway was a welcome sight. She shook her head off the cobwebs in her mind and got up. Shaking everyone away, they got ready to leave this place. They had a lot of ground to cover after all.</p>
<p>It was around noon that they heard the sounds of a fight. The sun beat down on them as they hurried on towards it. They saw several figures fighting a fire elemental and they noticed a familiar warforged.</p>
<p>"Hey, is that ARC?" asked Polka in surprise.</p>
<p>True enough, the yellow and brown warforged was busy protecting someone who was on the ground behind him. There were two burnt bodies right in front of him, the arms and legs reduced to cinders. Two others were still standing and busy handling the elemental; one was a large, heavily armored warforged that was swinging a red-hot warhammer at it while the other was a kobold that was busy shooting it with crossbow bolts. The bolts were not effective whatsoever, burning up the moment they touched the elemental.</p>
<p>"Let's help him," urged Nene as she led the others to help the group.</p>
<p>The monk moved like the wind, barrelling forward while tossing darts at it while Botan and Aloe followed behind while shooting arrows and throwing a dagger. The fire elemental roared as it turned to face the distractions while the warforged and the kobold retreated. Meanwhile, the cleric summoned and sent in her spirit sword while shooting a ray of frost at it. It flinched and roared as the ice melted over its body, part of its fire being put out partially.</p>
<p>"Best run away, spitfire, or you'll be put out!" mocked Nene in the midst of its howling.</p>
<p>Polka shouted out a cry as she slammed her fists together, the brilliant glow covering her arms. She then swung a few punches, large inky fists materializing and slamming into the elemental.</p>
<p>"Woah, when could you do that?" asked Botan after she shot more arrows.</p>
<p>"He, he, the tattoos help," the monk replied with a grin before it fell away with a gasp, "Woah, face me!" However, as she punched it as it walked by, she yelped as she burned her hand. On the plus side, the fire elemental lost cohesion and dissipated with a loud roar to the heavens.</p>
<p>"ARC! Remember us!?" called out Nene as she hurried over to the remaining group of four, Lamy and Aloe following after her.</p>
<p>"Ladies!? How did you get here?" he shouted back, "We aren't out of trouble yet! That thing had-"</p>
<p>"MORE SERVANTS!? FOR ME?" declared a booming voice, "MY LUCK ABOUNDS IT SEEMS."</p>
<p>A large, muscular, red-skinned, horned man appeared. Dressed in short caftan pants and a silk vest, he was brandishing a large, fiery scimitar. He pointed at them, a brass bracelet and a gold ring on each finger, and declared, "YOU WILL BE FORGIVEN FOR SLAYING MY ELEMENTAL IF YOU LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS AND BECOME MY SLAVES."</p>
<p>"Shaddap! We'll never be slaves!" shouted Polka as she sent several purple-colored spectral fists into his face. Botan followed up with a peppering of arrows that poked holes into the enraged efreeti's chest.</p>
<p>"YOU... WILL BURN!" he roared as a wall of fire appeared with a wave of his hand.</p>
<p>Screaming filled the air as the wall erupted under Lamy's, Polka's, and Nene's feet. They stumbled out of the wall in an effort to get away but while the monk and the cleric fell out of the safer side, the bard went the other way and got burned a second time.</p>
<p>"Be healed!" chanted Aloe as she waved her hand in the lore bard's direction while trying to aim her dagger at him. It missed, unfortunately.</p>
<p>The efreeti roared again as a flash of light shot into its face.</p>
<p>"Hey! Can't make us slaves! You're so defective!" mocked the bard, increasing his ire.</p>
<p>"Ha! Ha!" jeered the fennec girl monk as she sent for spectral punches at him. The first one slammed into his arm but the rest were cut down with his burning scimitar.</p>
<p>"Ha!" sounded off the archer as she continued to rain arrows.</p>
<p>However, Botan was not laughing when the angry efreeti charged at her and swung his scimitar a few times, shouting, "YOU WILL BE TAMED AND BROKEN. I WILL NOT HAVE MY SLAVES OFFEND ME THIS WAY."</p>
<p>"No slaves here! You'd be an idiot to think that!" Nene continued to mock him as Aloe and Lamy continued to try and make a dent in him.</p>
<p>It did work after the cleric took some of the previous time to maneuver her spirit sword into position. It was unfortunate that her ray of frost was blocked by his scimitar but that gave the monk a chance to deliver a decisive strike. The first two spectral fists were destroyed but the third punch struck him in the privates. As he howled in pain, the other team behind them grabbed their crotches when they saw what happened.</p>
<p>"Ha! Who's broken now?" jeered Botan.</p>
<p>"ALL OF YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS," the efreeti growled out in muted agony as he turned invisible. The wall of fire he summoned then disappeared.</p>
<p>"Wow, I think that's the first time I saw Polka win a fight with a nut punch," stated Aloe with a smirk.</p>
<p>"Ah… I didn't intend to though..." she trailed off in embarrassment.</p>
<p>"Heh, well, whatever is effective," stated the succubus with a shrug.</p>
<p>"Hmm, I wish I got that fire sword," muttered the archer dejectedly.</p>
<p>"Hey, ARC, are you and your friends alright?" called out Nene as she and Lamy hurried over.</p>
<p>"Oh? Hello again, miss," he greeted them, "Apologies, I don't remember if I got your name before."</p>
<p>"Oh, I'm Nene. This is Lamy," she introduced, and then pointing to each of her friends, stated their names.</p>
<p>"Oh, greetings, Miss Nene. Well, as you know, my name is ARC. This here is Appa Ninny," he introduced, pointing to the kobold, who waved at them while hiding behind the larger warforged. He pointed to the other and said, "This guy is Kilo-Delta-Romeo, KDR."</p>
<p>"You can call me Candor," the deep, gruff voice of the warforged said. By then, the other three had joined them.</p>
<p>"Who is she and what happened to her?" asked the cleric as she knelt down to look over the girl that they were protecting. She had short blonde hair and wore clothes suited for desert travel, loose-fitting to let air flow through easily.</p>
<p>"Ah, Miss Mel hired us to accompany her here. She was looking for old places, you see," ARC explained what little they were told, "She was some historian of sorts from Huan Tuo, so it made sense."</p>
<p>"Looking for old places? Hmm..." murmured the lore bard, wondering if this historian was getting dreams from Priestess Ina'nis as well.</p>
<p>"We need to get her to shelter," declared the cleric, "She is overheated and has heatstroke."</p>
<p>"We passed by an abandoned fort on the way to the dungeon. Maybe we can go there?" asked Botan.</p>
<p>"Ah, if that is the place we passed by, then yes," the warforged agreed as he picked up the lady bridal style, " Let's go."</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome back.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>First of all, thank you for the review, Misaka.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next, Holo5 met a mummy... I hesitate to call this one a lord... maybe something in between a lord and a normal mummy. Anyway, Rah'zevim explains what was imprisoned there as well as gave the party some helpful stuff. And whaddya know, something to upgrade Anya with. Then, they also escaped the rotting troll. Hmm, they can't reseal the place, but... Nene has Tiny Hut.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Ah, dream time with Ina! I hope it comes across as very strange and out of place. It should be from their point of view.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The next day comes and they bump into a familiar person. Remember ARC? I've decided to bring him back with a new party, Appa Ninny the kobold and KDR the warforged. Mmm, so, Appa Ninny is an arcane trickster. Not that high a level yet, but still an alright ranged fighter. I also decided to have him become the chef of their group. KDR is a forge domain cleric. Less on healing and more into fighting. I was kinda inspired by the warrior priests in Warhammer Fantasy. Hence, he will be beating up enemies first before using Healing Word if it's available. Then again, he sometimes becomes hyperfocused in battle so you may not receive healing so easily.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>So, they assist ARC and his friends against a fire elemental and its summoner, an efreeti. Sure enough, they took it out with some trouble. It seems they were escorting a Miss Mel... sound familiar?</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, we find out why this Miss Mel is here. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0055"><h2>55. Chapter 55</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 55</p>
<p>There was a sense of urgency as the now larger group headed for the abandoned fort. Thankfully, it wasn't too far from the fight area. They hurried past the broken gate and into the lone building.</p>
<p>"Get my bedroll out and lay her on it," ordered Lamy as she ran through the building's rooms in search of a container. She grinned when she found a dried-up cistern that still seemed usable. She then chanted as she stretched her arms out to the cistern and the previous room, "As I pray to my goddess, bring us sustenance that we may survive the coming night and we see the beauty of the sunrise once more."</p>
<p>Food materialized in the previous room while water appeared and overflowed the cistern. At first, dirty water flowed as the cistern was cleaned out but it was eventually replaced with clean water as the grime was washed out of the stone receptacle.</p>
<p>"Come, bring your waterskins," she called out, "Refill them and help cool Mel's body down."</p>
<p>Appa Ninny yipped and started picking out food to eat while ARC and KDR refilled their party's waterskins and did as Lamy directed. Her party also took this chance to do the same. With everyone mostly feeling overheated from the desert sun, they took this chance to rest as well. While Nene and Polka were quite curious as to why the kobold took to adventuring life, Lamy and Aloe were talking to the two warforged. Botan went to the rooftop to look around and keep watch.</p>
<p>"...and after that, Appa runs away from bandits and hides behind Kiloman and shoots Magic Missles," said the arcane trickster animatedly, much to the awe of the other two.</p>
<p>"...so, after getting him out of his slump, we made it just in time to get Appa out of the sacrificial circle," explained the shorter warforged.</p>
<p>"Well, that was unexpected," said the cleric in surprise.</p>
<p>"Praise the Forge father that we got the kobold out," grunted the larger warforged before pointedly saying, "Suffer not the fiend to live, lest their deceiving nature be your downfall."</p>
<p>The succubus frowned at that, muttering, "Just great, another one of those."</p>
<p>"I know not why they travel with one such as you. That is a matter up to them," he stated as he rose from his seated state to tower over her, "I will tolerate for now, but step out of line and I will end you."</p>
<p>Her brow twitched in annoyance when he said that and she growled a little. She fell silent when she felt Lamy's hand over her shoulder. She glanced over and the cleric shook her head as they locked eyes.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Botan sighed as she looked around. She knew she said she would keep watch but it began to get a little boring as the only thing out here was sand, sand, and more sand. It didn't help that she was getting more overheated the longer she stayed out here. After an hour, she decided to go back down to get into the shade. However, as she was halfway down the stairs, her senses tingled; her ears twitched as she heard a faint buzzing sound and she caught a faint waft of something foul. Behind her. She spun around and was surprised to find a hooded figure wearing a black robe as well as a half-orc wearing simple clothes.</p>
<p>"Who-" she started to ask before the half-orc threw a few darts at her. Reflexively raising her armored hand, one pierced her hand while the other two bounced off her armor. "Nene!" she shouted, putting everyone on guard.</p>
<p>At the same time, three other people came into the building with weapons brandished; a green-skinned woman with a veil over half her face wearing a chain shirt, a gnome in a chain shirt, and a hobgoblin wearing half-plate. The woman had a shortsword, the gnome had a mace while the hobgoblin held a greatsword.</p>
<p>"Get her to safety," shouted Nene as she led the others to defend themselves while the warforged and the kobold carried their unconscious employer down the other set of stairs.</p>
<p>"Kill them!"</p>
<p>Botan glanced up to the hooded figure, who continued to shout, "These are the ones who need to die. He demands it!"</p>
<p>"Tch," the archer sounded to herself. Going down the stairs means going straight into melee as the bottom of the stairs faced the doorway outside. Staying up here means having to tangle with the hooded figure and the unarmed half-orc, who she assumed was like Polka. Deciding to keep them up here, she shot at them.</p>
<p>One of the arrows pierced the robe and slammed into the shoulder of the hooded figure. He grunted, stretched out his hand, and sent three beams of crackling energy at her. She ducked down and they barely passed over her head. Around the same time, the monk charged in and started throwing punches at her. Growling, she blocked with her armored arm. After three punches, she pushed back as she roared loudly, her ability activating before dropping her bow on the step and slashing him with her claws.</p>
<p>However, as she fought back, her mind began being assaulted by a sudden cacophony of whispering. She stumbled back in surprise and yelled in pain as her head felt like it was going to burst. Thankfully, she got a hold of herself before the enemy monk could take advantage of her state. Blocking off his barrage, she fought back and again, not making much impact. The half-orc's skin was rather tough, in her opinion. As she fought him off, the hooded figure sent another three beams of crackling energy, all three blasting her body.</p>
<p>As the half-orc came close again, a sound like a thunderstrike exploded between her enemies. Glancing behind, she noticed Aloe hovering behind her. Grinning at the backup, she pushed through her pain and weathered the half-orc's attacks with her armored arm. At the same time, Polka suddenly jumped up and pulled herself up the side of the stairs. Deftly getting to her feet, she started making her move on the enemy martial artist, who was surprisingly quite good in blocking and parrying her attacks.</p>
<p>However, before Botan could do anything to help, the roof suddenly caved in; the hooded figure, the martial artist, and the fennec monk fell down into the room.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Aloe! Don't kill them!" shouted Nene.</p>
<p>The three enemies on the ground floor suddenly started to focus fire on Lamy after she threw a knife made of ice at the hobgoblin. The lady taunted and let off an explosion of sound. The gnome summoned his own spectral sword and shot a flash of light at her. The hobgoblin charged in to attack her. While they did so, the rest fought back indiscriminately. Aloe dropped an explosion of sound in the middle of them. Polka started drinking and staggered over to the gnome and slapped him silly, and she went to help defend the cleric from the charging hobgoblin.</p>
<p>"Weakling cleric! Your god cannot save you now!" taunted the green-skinned lady after getting stabbed in the side by Lamy's spectral sword, "We will sacrifice your friends to ours!"</p>
<p>"I have trust in my friends!" she shot back as she fended off the next few sword swings with her shield, "We will not fall so easily!"</p>
<p>It was then the succubus' dagger slamming into the hobgoblin's neck, the body keeling over backward. That prompted the lore bard to shout at her, who replied with this shout, "Spur of the moment! Sorry!"</p>
<p>"Good night!" exclaimed the fennec fox monk as she continued attacking the gnome priest. Slamming her elbow on his head, she feinted with a punch and he covered his face. Smirking, she kicked him in the privates and sent him crashing into the wall. He slid down unconscious, passed out from the impact and the pain.</p>
<p>"Alive, Aloe! Alive!" shouted back Nene as she went in to stab the lady with Anya. The blade pierced through the chain shirt and blood spurted out of her shoulder.</p>
<p>She then pushed the lore bard off her and said, "Fool! Our god will-" A ray of frost shot into her chest and frosted it over. She sank to her knees and started breathing heavily.</p>
<p>"Nothing more out of you," stated Lamy, herself breathing heavily as well.</p>
<p>"I'll go help Botan," said Aloe as she ran out of the building. A second later, a loud boom came from the roof.</p>
<p>"Wait for me!" shouted Polka as she climbed the stairs.</p>
<p>"Hmm… alright, let's try this," stated Nene as she took up her lute.</p>
<p>After plucking a note, she then raised her voice to a very high pitch. A loud boom rocked the room, surprising the half-snow elf cleric with a yelp, who was stabilizing the veiled lady while noting her slit-shaped irises. The stone ceiling collapsed and dust flew and filled the room. As they waved the dust away from their eyes, a half-orc suddenly jumped out of the cloud and started attacking the lore bard. She doubled over as she got punched in the gut. Then, she fell to the ground as she got an elbow to the back of her neck and a knee to the chest. She groaned as she hunched up on the floor.</p>
<p>"None of that!" shouted Lamy as she slammed the pommel of her mace into his head, sending him into the wall, and knocking him out immediately. She then hurried over to the lore bard and asked, "Hey, are you alright?"</p>
<hr/>
<p>"You all will pay for this!" declared the hooded figure, who was revealed to be a dog-folk, as he disappeared with a buzzing boom.</p>
<p>"Tch, just what is his problem?" grumbled Aloe with a frown, "You attack us, you get beat up. Not hard to understand."</p>
<p>"Geh, come on. Let's check up on the others," muttered Polka as she pulled the succubus with her into the next room.</p>
<p>Most unfortunate that the remaining food was wrecked when the ceiling caved in and a thin film of dust coated the filled cistern. As the duo had entered the main room, Botan had come down the stairs and Lamy was helping Nene to her feet. Then, Appa Ninny poked his head out from the other set of stairs.</p>
<p>"Is fight over?" he asked with a yip, "Can Appa and friends come out now?"</p>
<p>"Ah, yeah, sure can," said the lore bard with a pained smile as she leaned against the cleric, and then blinked as a healing potion was passed to her. She smiled a bit more softly, "Oh, thanks."</p>
<p>"Appa also has good news," the kobold added as he scampered out of the way, "Mel-mel has woken up again."</p>
<p>"Thank you for taking care of me," said the mysterious lady happily as she came up the stairs. Meanwhile, the fennec fox girl and the lion girl used up her rope to tie up their captives.</p>
<p>"That's a relief," piped up ARC.</p>
<p>"The Forge was truly with us this day," declared the other warforged. Looking at their captives and the dead hobgoblin, he continued, "You captured most of your attackers. Impressive. Do you wish help in interrogating them?"</p>
<p>"I don't see why not… but we'll have to wait for them to wake up," replied Nene as she stared at them.</p>
<p>Nodding, he trudged over and stepped past them to exit the building. He then poked his head inside and said, "What shall we do now, Miss Mel?"</p>
<p>"Ah, I suppose we can get to the ruins now?" she mused as she tapped her cheek with a finger, "It is said to be built into a mountain and-"</p>
<p>"Didn't we come from there?" quipped Polka.</p>
<p>"You did!? What was the layout? Did you disable the traps? Did you meet anything inside? A library? A-"</p>
<p>"Calm down," stated Botan as she pulled the curious, presumed archaeologist, away from the monk, "There is one guy still sane in there, everything else has gone mad... I guess. Not much of a library there and it was a prison, not a place for keeping knowledge."</p>
<p>"Oh, what else?" asked Mel as she mystically produced a piece of parchment and scribbled down notes.</p>
<p>"Whatever that was imprisoned there had escaped and we are now going to… destroy it as there is no other way to contain it anymore," explained their cleric. Glancing at their captives, she continued, "I begin to wonder if they are involved in releasing the abomination."</p>
<p>"If this is true, then we must assist you." spoke up the warforged cleric, "We shall banish the abomination back to where it came from."</p>
<p>"But the ruins..."</p>
<p>"Hey, don't worry, Miss Mel. We'll get there," assured the shorter warforged, "But… well, you know how KDR gets."</p>
<p>"We welcome the help," said Nene with a smile, "After we kill the abomination, we'll be going back to the prison anyway, so he's right. Although… never mind. We'll let you know when we get there."</p>
<p>"Anyway… back to interrogating them?" asked Aloe, noticing the captives slowly stirring.</p>
<p>"Maybe get out of the desert first," suggested the lion girl, "Easier for us and them."</p>
<p>With everyone agreeing with that suggestion… well, except Aloe, who suggested putting them neck-deep in the sand, they packed up their stuff and headed back to the main road. Their three prisoners were quite reluctant but eventually, they were coaxed to move with them, especially after KDR's warhammer started glowing yellow. It didn't take too long, but by the time they reached the main road again, it had become evening. And after they reached the main road, they stopped by the roadside and made the prisoners sit down.</p>
<p>"Alright, now that we're out of the desert, let's begin," declared the lore bard as she stood before them, "Now, mind telling us why you attacked us?"</p>
<p>The green-skinned woman and the half-orc were silent but the gnome spoke up, "Like we'd tell you anything. Glory to the Old Ones!"</p>
<p>He suddenly jumped up and burst from the rope, his skin suddenly darkening to a purple hue, and his face suddenly morphing and mutating to sprout tentacles. Before he could do anything else, KDR destroyed his head with his warhammer with a sickening squelch. Botan and Aloe stood there stunned. Mel, Nene, and Polka ran to the treeline to vomit. ARC covered Appa's eyes, who gave no response. Lamy looked a little sick but steeled her mind, though she did turn away from the sight. The remaining prisoners looked shocked and terrified by what happened.</p>
<p>As the bulky warforged dragged the body away to toss into the forest, the cleric then composed herself and asked the prisoners, "Ahem, so… can either one of you please tell us what we want to know?"</p>
<p>"I don't know anything! I'm just a merc!" the half-orc hastily said.</p>
<p>The lady hissed in annoyance, "Same here. We were not privy to whatever secrets our contractor had. The hobgoblin was in the same pot as us by the way, if you must know."</p>
<p>"Hmm, and after you captured or killed us, what were you going to do?" asked the archer.</p>
<p>"Never said anything to us," the half-orc replied, now looking a little calmer, "I did overhear the priest talking about returning to some mine. As far as I know, the nearest mine is at the town down the road here."</p>
<p>"I see. Thank you for your cooperation," said the half-snow elf. Turning to the others, she said, "Does anyone know anything about the next town?"</p>
<p>"Never been there before," stated ARC with a shrug, "But the town's name is Kurimo."</p>
<p>"Wait a minute, I lived there!" exclaimed the monk, she and the other two recovering and rejoining the group, "Are we going there next?"</p>
<p>Blink.</p>
<p>"Er, hold that thought, Polka," stated Aloe, "What do we do with the prisoners?"</p>
<p>"We shall take them to the city and turn them over to the royal guard," declared KDR, "Then, we shall rejoin you at the town to eliminate this threat."</p>
<p>"Well, that's all very reasonable," quipped ARC, who then asked, "Who will you be following, Miss Mel?"</p>
<p>"...I guess I'll follow them?"</p>
<p>"Very well. We shall be done with this as quickly as possible," stated the larger warforged as he picked up the rope and pulled the prisoners along, much to their discomfort, "We shall meet again. May the Forge be with you, Miss Mel."</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome back.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>So, it seems that Mel has some heatstroke. Bringing her back to the abandoned fort they passed by before, they tried to cool her body down. At the same time, they tried to get to know the group they saved. Appa was a bit more friendly than KDR, who immediately riled up Aloe. However, all is not well as they got attacked by an unknown party. All is not lost as Holo5 handled them well enough, even capturing a few of them. Sad that the warlock escaped capture... but we will see him again.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>After dragging their captives with them, they got out of the desert. An... unfortunate incident occurred when they tried interrogation. Yeah, brutal. Real brutal. Also, a good showcase, I think, about KDR. He isn't a stranger to violence. After that showing, they all decided that ARC's party will bring the other two back to the capital while Holo5 and Mel go on ahead to Polka's hometown. And of course, we will get to meet some people she mentioned before. Hmm, so... the only depictions I haven't shown yet are Lamy's family and Nene's family. Honestly, not sure if I have enough time to showcase that but we'll have to see.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, we do just that. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0056"><h2>56. Chapter 56</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 56</p>
<p>After the parties separated, they headed straight for Kurimo with Mel in tow. The archaeologist, whose full name was revealed to be Mel Yozora, was actually from Huan Tuo. She had been traveling to different regions trying to puzzle out the strange dungeons that were always built in the southwestern area to every continent. She had been to the one on Lithos but was turned away by a hooded figure with a warning not to dabble in things not meant for mortal minds. However, being quite stubborn when ancient sites are concerned, she decided to see if she can dig up more information, pun not intended.</p>
<p>"And so, I ended up in Gekko," she summed up with a pleasant smile.</p>
<p>"I have a feeling you were given that warning for a reason," said Nene with a quizzical look.</p>
<p>"Hng, Haato said the same thing," she muttered with a pout.</p>
<p>Night had fallen by the time they reached the town, Polka prancing around as if it was a joyous occasion.</p>
<p>"Calm down," called out Botan, "You are excited to see your family and friends again, but you could do something weird by accident and cause trouble."</p>
<p>"...Nah, I'm fine," quipped the fennec fox monk as she turned another cartwheel that ended in a somersault, "Come on, I'll show you to Harvog's bar. If I remember right, it's called the Big Top."</p>
<p>So after getting past the gate guards, she guided them to the bar, which was near the center of the town. The name was not on the bar, but instead had a sign in the shape of a circus big top. She strode right in and a jolly half-orc yelled out a greeting.</p>
<p>"Ha! Welcome back, Polka! How goes your journey?" he said boisterously over the din.</p>
<p>"Hey, Harvog! I'm doing great!" she replied with a big grin, "These are my friends!"</p>
<p>After introductions, he said with a warm smile, "Well, friends of Polka are always welcome here. Please, order what you want. All will be provided."</p>
<p>"Food?"</p>
<p>"Ale?"</p>
<p>"Knowledge?"</p>
<p>The party and the bartender turned to look at the archaeologist with dumbfounded looks. Her face went flush with embarrassment, muttering about stuff under her breath.</p>
<p>"...Erm, just some food and drink for dinner," the monk said after that pause, "And maybe some rooms for my friends."</p>
<p>They quickly moved over to an empty table and took over.</p>
<p>"Sorry?" apologized Mel, her face still quite red, "Haato always said I can be quirky at times." That prompted giggling around the table.</p>
<p>"It's fine," said Polka with a smirk, "We were just surprised, that's all."</p>
<p>It was then a fennec fox couple entered the bar. He wore ordinary farm clothes over his wiry frame. She wore the same, with a small addition of a straw hat over her head, her ears poking through holes in the hat. And at the sight of them, Polka jumped out of her seat and threw herself at them, much to their surprise.</p>
<p>"Polka!?"</p>
<p>"Ma! Pa! I'm back!"</p>
<p>The rest were somewhat shocked but then smiled as they watched the heartwarming hug scene.</p>
<p>"It makes one miss their family," stated Lamy, but continued at a softer tone "Well… almost."</p>
<p>"Come, meet my friends," the monk declared as she pulled them over.</p>
<p>"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Omaru," greeted everyone at the table.</p>
<p>"Ha, ha, hello everyone. I hope my daughter hasn't been giving you too much trouble?" the father greeted them cheerily.</p>
<p>"Pa…!" groaned the fennec fox girl loudly, "Please don't ask weird questions!"</p>
<p>"Not a problem at all," stated the cleric, "She has been a great help."</p>
<p>"I'm glad she has such supportive friends," replied the mother. She then turned to her daughter and asked, "Come, you have to tell me how you've been doing. Do you have a boyfriend yet?"</p>
<p>"Ma!? No!" yelled the girl, a little horrified that her friends were hearing this. It didn't help that the giggling started.</p>
<p>She quickly ushered her parents away, even sitting with them to take their attention away from her friends, afraid of any more embarrassing questions. Meanwhile, the giggling died down and everyone tucked in their food when it arrived.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Hey, can you tell me what happened at the prison ruins?" asked Mel.</p>
<p>They had finished eating and were now polishing up their drinks… except Lamy and Polka, who had gotten into a drinking contest after the fennec fox parent's left for the night. Aloe was officiating and was collecting bets from the patrons of the bar. The odds were in the home girl's favor. Botan had gone to her room to turn in early. So, that left the archaeologist alone with the lore bard at a separate table.</p>
<p>"Well, if you have to ask… one there weren't that many traps," Nene began her explanation, "At most, there was a large teleport trap in a hall. Most of the monsters I think we killed… except a troll with rotting skin. The only thing sane left was a mummy. It was really weirding me out, though he was quite chatty. He was the one that told us about the abomination we are hunting down."</p>
<p>"Hmm, interesting," the archaeologist muttered eagerly as she took notes, parchment and ink pen mysteriously appearing in her hands again.</p>
<p>"How are you doing that?" the lore bard asked incredulously.</p>
<p>"Anyway, do you have any information about this abomination you can share with the others when they get back here?" the former then asked, "I mean, you need to know your enemy to fight it, right?"</p>
<p>"We don't know much yet?" the latter answered hesitantly, "All we know is that it was an experiment gone bad, and it can sow madness and confusion when it fights."</p>
<p>"That's not very helpful," muttered Mel with a frown. After some thought, she reluctantly said, "Hng… I wish we had more to go on. Just saying it was 'a failed experiment' doesn't give much to work with."</p>
<p>"...I understand the feeling," muttered Nene when a cacophony of disappointed noises came from the next table. Both combatants have fallen over the table unconscious, with over seven empty tankards next to each of them while the succubus had to refund all the bets as there was no winner.</p>
<p>Turning back to the archaeologist, she continued, "Let's get to bed. Maybe we can figure something out in the morning."</p>
<hr/>
<p>The next day, after daily morning rituals, they gathered downstairs to have a hearty breakfast. At the same time, Polka decided to ask Harvog about the local mine.</p>
<p>"Wait, how do you know about that?" he asked in surprise, "I doubt word has gotten out yet."</p>
<p>"Erm… we heard about it from… some bandits?" she explained very hesitantly.</p>
<p>The half-orc sighed and pulled a chair to sit before explaining, "Well, I suppose I should say something. We haven't told anyone yet since we still have a good store of ore in the town storage, but even that has been dwindling. The miners have been run out of the mine by some kind of cult. A few wanted to fight but the rest were afraid. They pretty much lost their nerve once they heard strange sounds coming from there, not to mention sightings of ghosts. Mayor Howitz wanted to send in a request to the adventurer's guild but he didn't have enough money."</p>
<p>"Why not?"</p>
<p>He turned to Botan and replied, "Perhaps if it were more manageable monsters like goblins or kobolds, we would have enough to pay. The normal, expected stuff and such. But a cult? They would need some experienced adventurers and that would cost a lot."</p>
<p>"Well, no need to fear. We are here now," declared Nene with a grin, "We are with the adventurer's guild. We can take this on."</p>
<p>"You are!? Oh, praise the gods," he exclaimed happily, "Ïf you are willing, then I shall get the mayor at once!"</p>
<p>"Of course!"</p>
<p>"I hope they have a good map of the mine," stated Aloe as the bartender ran out of the tavern, "Other than that, I think we are going in blind here. We don't know what has been living inside the mine when the cult moved in there."</p>
<p>"Hmm, I might have something that can help with that," said Mel assuringly, "Also, ARC and his friends are coming to rejoin us."</p>
<p>"Ooh, you're right," said the fennec fox girl eagerly, "Then, we can definitely save my hometown."</p>
<p>"Well said, young lady," said a very fatherly voice.</p>
<p>"'Heyo, Ringmaster."</p>
<p>"Ha, I've retired from that a long time ago," the mayor stated with a grin. He had greying hair and dressed quite smartly, with the odd addition of a sleek, black top hat. Probably a remnant of his old days.</p>
<p>He then turned to them and said seriously, "Well, I caught the tail end of what you said earlier. The town will be in your debt if you could solve our problem at the mine."</p>
<p>"As sure as the sun shines, we can definitely solve this problem," declared Lamy as she stood up with determination.</p>
<p>"Hello!" greeted ARC jovially as he stepped in with Appa Ninny and KDR, "What did we miss?"</p>
<hr/>
<p>After filling in the warforged team, getting the map from the mayor, and topping up on what they need, they headed straight for the mine. It wasn't very far and it could be seen from the town. The entrance was on the side of a small hill and a wooden structure was outside it. It brought water flowing past it, taken from a minor diversion at a river a mile from here. Materials were dumped into the slurry and washed down for smelting. The group went up several ramps to reach the dual entrance of the mine.</p>
<p>"Alright, we're here. You're up, Mel. What is it that you have that can help us spy inside?" asked Nene.</p>
<p>"A magic eye. Give me a moment," the archaeologist stated.</p>
<p>Grasping her crystal, she held it out in her hand by its strap and chanted, "Grant me sight beyond sight that I may reveal any hidden knowledge."</p>
<p>An outline of an eye slowly formed in front of her. However, as the eye solidified and became material, a loud wheezing growl could be heard coming from the entrance. At each entrance, black, wispy tendrils swirled and combined something akin to a billowing cloak.</p>
<p>"S-s-secrets..." hissed out a raspy voice from the ghostly figure on the left.</p>
<p>"Leave..." wheezed the one on the right.</p>
<p>"Hey, hey, this way," Nene quickly exclaimed, waving her hands to draw their attention. Turning back to the group, she whispered out, "Hurry! Finish that spell and spy out the place." Looking back to the two allips, she continued, "So… why are you here? What happened to you guys?"</p>
<p>The arcane eye became solid and slowly became invisible. Mel then sat down with her head bowed.</p>
<p>Polka then whispered to the rest, "ARC, you and your team protect her. We'll help Nene with this."</p>
<p>"Gotcha," he whispered back.</p>
<p>"Death..." rasped the one on the left as both of them floated over to the lore bard, the light of the sun doing little to pierce through their darkness.</p>
<p>"Er, no, not looking for death," replied the bard as she shook her head, "Why not something else? Umm, how about what you are doing here? How did you become this way?"</p>
<p>"How… how…." repeated the right one.</p>
<p>"Yeah! How? What made you like this? Do you remember anything else?" she continued to badger them in an intense effort to distract them.</p>
<p>"Death… prison..."</p>
<p>"Priestess…" and then the right one rasped out something unintelligible that sent a strange shiver up her spine.</p>
<p>"I… don't know what you said, but I know a priestess," she quipped, "Do you know a Priestess Ina'nis?"</p>
<p>"High..."</p>
<p>"Priestess..."</p>
<p>Both spectral figures stared at each other before they let off a wheezing, grating laugh.</p>
<p>"Kabedon..."</p>
<p>"Kabedon..."</p>
<p>They laughed again, seemingly placated. However, in mid-laugh, they suddenly wailed loudly while gripping their heads. Their bodies shuddered for a moment before settling down. The spectral figures then glared at her with glowing red specks that counted for eyes.</p>
<p>"Okay, time to run away!" she yelped as she ran down the ramp, shouted "Help meee!" as the two allips howled and flew after her.</p>
<p>As she ran, she glanced to her side and was horrified to find one of the allips flying straight at her. However, one blink later, she suddenly found herself alone, on a flat rock in the middle of an endless sea. The sea itself was choppy, the wind was picking up, and the cloudy sky rumbled with thunder. She blinked again and found Polka standing in front of her, punching at something.</p>
<p>"-ou alright, Nene?" she heard as the world came back to her senses.</p>
<p>Spinning to the side, she watched as two glowing arrows flew true into an allip's chest. As it slowly disintegrated into the wind, she watched the other allip start speaking in the same unintelligible language. She heard Botan yell in protest.</p>
<p>"Hey! How do you think your priestess will feel when she finds out you're doing this!?" she yelled out in angry mockery, "You won't see the light of day!"</p>
<p>It let off a horrid wail as it started clawing and scratching its spectral head. It muttered more unintelligible words before it disintegrated as well. However, she was able to catch a faint muttering of a strange word 'R'lyeh' before it became dust in the wind.</p>
<p>She stood there, staring at where it used to hover, wondering whatever was that word.</p>
<p>"Hey, are you alright?" asked the monk as she shook her shoulder.</p>
<p>"Ah! Yeah, I'm fine, hi, hi," replied the lore bard as she was shaken out of her train of thought.</p>
<p>Turning around, she noticed Mel and ARC's team walking up to the ramp, the archaeologist saying, "I saw a lot. The map is pretty much the same but there are quite a lot of cultists near the back. However, there is one area I can't exactly get through. It's like something is blocking my arcane eye."</p>
<p>"Hmm, so… we have two groups. Should we split up?" she suggested to everyone.</p>
<p>"Actually, we don't really have to?" stated the former, "The mine has a lot of intersections between both main tunnels so we would essentially cover a lot of ground while still in contact with each other. Not truly splitting up, so we should be fine."</p>
<p>"That sounds good. Let's go in and take back the mine," declared Polka as she marched right in.</p>
<p>"Hmm," she sounded softly before joining the others in going in.</p>
<hr/>
<p>After checking out both entrances, they went in warily, ARC's team and Mel going in the right side while she and her friends went in the left side. It was unnaturally quiet the moment they stepped in. As per usual, Polka pulls out her driftglobe and speaks the word to light it up as well as float. Almost immediately, loud growls sounded around them as four humanoid shadows flinched away from them. The same sort of growls could be heard all the way from the other tunnel. At that moment, Nene plucked her lute and sang, prompting more growling and some screeching.</p>
<p>"Yosh! I'm fired up!" shouted the monk before taking out one of the nearer shadows.</p>
<p>A flash of light from Lamy obliterated another shadow. The remaining two hovered over to the lore bard and grabbed her head, causing her to stagger back with a tortured expression. However, their shadowy forms were disrupted by a boom that exploded behind them, which led to their demise from Botan's magic-enhanced arrows. A loud shriek came from the other tunnel, which sounded like Appa.</p>
<p>"The flames of the Forge shall banish the darkness!" KDR's voice boomed.</p>
<p>"Get off him!" shouted ARC.</p>
<p>"This way!" called out Polka as she ran through a connecting path.</p>
<p>They came into the sister tunnel just in time to see the larger warforged pretty much destroy a shadow.</p>
<p>"Are you alright?" she asked with concern as they ran up to them.</p>
<p>"Well, Appa here isn't feeling well enough to be going in with us," said the medium-sized warforged as he propped up the shivering kobold against the wall. He then looked to KDR and said, "I'll be staying back. You go ahead with Mel here and clear the mine out."</p>
<p>The larger one slammed a fist to his chest and stated, "I shall burn the evil out of the mine with holy fire." He then turned to face the group of adventurers and stated, "Lead the way."</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome back.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The town of Kurimo, where most of the circus went to when they retired. After doing what adventuring parties usually do, they took in the food; I mean, look for a place to stay, check out the town a little as they got shown around by a local a.k.a. Polka. Now, I haven't exactly given much detail as the going-on's of the town aren't too important for the chapter. I can say that there is a general store for the people and the miners, a blacksmith for maintenance and such, storage for mine materials, and so on, as well as a mayor's office. So, as you can see, the retirees took to normal life pretty well, I'd like to think. Harvog set up the tavern there for himself. The former ringmaster worked hard and got elected as the mayor. Polka's parents settled there as farmers. I haven't exactly figured out what sort of role they played in the former circus so maybe the readers can give some suggestions.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Anyway, we have to double up the work. Getting rid of the cultists in the mines and killing the escaped experiment. This is about the time where I can use another rarely used monster. An allip is supposed to be a ghostly spectre that died due to forbidden knowledge that drove it to insanity. Normally. But in this case, forbidden knowledge didn't do them in as they are part of Ina's cult. No, this is where the enemy cult did them in and they were forcefully put there at the entrance like guard dogs. As for what enemy cult would do this, well, we can see it in the next few chapters. And so, after, the allips and the shadows, ARC and Appa stay behind. Holo5, Mel, and KDR will go in and flush out the cult from the mines.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, we do just that. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0057"><h2>57. Chapter 57</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 57</p>
<p>According to the map, both tunnels would eventually lead to two track-turners. Mel warned them that the turner in the middle of the larger cavern was occupied and so, it was better to follow the left side set of tracks. True to the warning, they could hear loud barks and growls as they neared the three-way crossing that had their side of the wooden track turner. And just ahead of them was a bridge which led deeper into the mine.</p>
<p>"We better do our best to be quiet," muttered Nene.</p>
<p>Everyone nodding in agreement, they proceeded to try and sneak past. With Polka at the corner of the turn keeping an eye out for them, they crept by one by one. The fennec fox girl made a face when spotted what they were warned about; four mangy-looking dogs, two bare-chested cultists wearing strange headgear, sharp metal claws on their hands, and red pants with black skirting, and one large ghoul-like creature wearing a bandolier-like thing with skulls on it. It was most unfortunate that two of the nearer dogs sniffed the air, and then turned to their direction snarling with their hackles raised. Then, the barking started.</p>
<p>"Oh, crap," she thought as everyone else behind her froze.</p>
<p>Loud barking echoed through the tunnels as well as shouts of warning and declaring allegiance to some old gods, much like the horrifying cultist they tried interrogating yesterday. Her fears crept up when she heard Nene scream in surprise and KDR's fervent shouts. Then, she spotted two cultists running up the side tunnel she was looking down.</p>
<p>"Oi, you better back off," she warned as she stepped into view.</p>
<p>"For the Old Gods!" yelled both cultists as they charged at her with their oversized claws.</p>
<p>Surprised, she was able to avoid the first few swings but those claws eventually found their mark. She grit her teeth at the puncture wounds on her legs and arms but then she gave a wry smirk as arrows and a dagger sunk into the chest of the cultist to her left. That smirk quickly changed to horror when a decomposing skull crashed into her head. The foul feeling of the rotting skin made her shriek in fright as it bounced away behind her. The cultists snickered as they came after her again. She growled and fought back.</p>
<p>Ducking under a claw, she slammed her shoulder into the more injured cultist. She intended to follow up but swayed back to avoid the other cultist, her punch was blocked when she swayed forward. She then turned and leaned back against the injured one to avoid a third swipe, she elbowed him as she pushed herself off and then donkey-kicked behind her. She smirked as the injured cultist shrieked in pain. As she turned around, her eyes followed Lamy as she ran next to her as she chanted. Many angelic-looking spirits started flitting around them, giving an uplifting feeling. As her turn finished and she ended up facing the cultists again, she watched as one of the spirits passed through the injured one's head and he fell over dead. The second one was not untouched as the spirits left scorch marks on his skin while Botan's arrows found their mark.</p>
<p>Then, a large figure loomed over behind him. The ghoul had a skull missing from its bandolier and she inwardly grimaced as she recalled the feeling. It then howled loudly, sending a sense of terrifying dread creeping through her mind and body. Then, she heard a wild battlecry.</p>
<p>"Born of fire, tempered with strength," roared the warforged as he slammed his glowing warhammer into the back of the cultist who was circling around her.</p>
<p>"Hey, so much for your old gods. Am I right?" mocked Nene.</p>
<p>"Take my soul for your purpose! For the Old Gods!" yelled the cultist as he suddenly fell and bashed his head on the ground, much to her friend's and Mel's horror.</p>
<p>More voices and shouts could be heard from far off.</p>
<p>"I think many more are going to show up!" Polka shouted as she went on the offensive, slamming two punches into the slavering ghoul's knee before the rest of her blows were avoided when it shifted its body. She then cartwheeled backward over a swipe of its claws sent her way.</p>
<p>It roared as it tried to go after her, but was stopped in its tracks by a gleaming spectral sword she noticed as she landed on her feet.</p>
<p>"Hurry!" urged on Lamy as she slammed her mace into its knee, the radiant light shining as bones cracked and cap shattered.</p>
<p>"Magic Missile!"</p>
<p>Several shining darts flew and struck down on its other leg, spraying chips of bone into the side tunnel wall. Soon after, arrows were shot and perforated its head, causing it to topple over backward and crash to the ground. It expired with a loud wheeze.</p>
<p>"You! You dare intrude on our domain!?" shouted out a familiar voice.</p>
<p>Everyone turned towards the bridge. Just beyond was a familiar figure; the hooded warlock that attacked them at the mines. Behind him was a mysterious black void. As if there was only darkness within.</p>
<p>"Get them! Slay the interlopers!" he ordered loudly as a large group of cultists ran towards the bridge, "For The Old Gods!"</p>
<p>"For the Old Gods!"</p>
<p>As the cultists ran across the bridge, KDR ran past Polka and the others, shouting, "I cast you into the flames of the Forge!" He slammed his white-hot weapon onto the bridge, splinters spraying. The fire flared up as their side of the bridge exploded, sending the majority of the cultists into the underground river below.</p>
<p>"Kill them you fools!" screamed the warlock, his hood falling off his head, revealing the mutations on half of his face. His skin was a discolored purple and his hair had fallen out. In place were tendrils and tentacles writhing and shivering independently of each other.</p>
<p>Polka took a quick drink from her portable cask and gulped down in a hurry. She had a feeling this was going to be a very weird fight.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Unfortunately, there were two bridges and a smaller group of cultists had taken that one over to the party's side. As KDR stood up, he raised his shield. Three consecutive blasts bombarded his defense as he stood his ground. By then, the small group of cultists, all armed with wicked-looking metal claws, shouting loudly, "For the Old Gods!" He smirked, confident in his defense, as the bombardment of spells was continued by two other cultists with short staves; a flaming sphere suddenly appeared over the fast-flowing river and rammed into the lead clawed cultist. His smirk fell as that same one reached him regardless of his wounds and pierced his chest armor with the deceptively dull-looking claws.</p>
<p>He growled as the claws continued to wail on him, losing his concentration on his weapon, and the comforting glow of the sign of the Forge faded. It didn't help that the other clawed ones joined the enemy in wailing on him. Enough was enough.</p>
<p>"The fire of the Forge shall burn evil from my sight!" he half-chanted, half-declared with all fervor as he slammed the ground in front of him.</p>
<p>Fire burst out of the ground, forming a long wall that stretched all the way to the bridge but not touching it. The first cultist that reached him was pretty much burnt to ashes. The rest roared and yelled as the flames of the Forge seared their flesh and burned their vile souls in cleansing fire. An explosion of sound erupted in the middle of the cultist group that pretty much finished them off. As the bodies burned, he noticed the fennec fox girl appear from a distance and crossed the bridge. His throat rumbled an approval as a ray of frost shot past him to freeze over one surviving cultist, the ice and fire taking a toll on the body as it topped off to the side and into the water.</p>
<p>A shrill, agonized cry of pain came from the girl as the cultist casters turned around and used their magic against her. Necrotic energies washed over her body as she stumbled backward in shock. The others tried to help; the lion let arrows fly, his charge's sphere of flame rammed into the caster, and the succubus tried to help by throwing a simple dagger. KDR huffed and dismissed the wall of fire. Then, he broke into a sprint as he chanted for aid, intent on helping the tortured monk.</p>
<p>"I shall purge your evil from this place," he stated sternly as he slammed the now searing-hot warhammer onto the caster's back, paying no heed to the licking flames of the sphere that started to burn and heat up his armor. He has been tempered in the fire of battle. He can withstand a little flame. It is a good pain.</p>
<p>The feeling went away with a wave of healing he felt coming behind him. He looked past the fighting monk and noted the mutated warlock raising his wand.</p>
<p>"Behind you," he stated.</p>
<p>She spun around and ducked under the first blast, however, the second exploded into her chest. He twisted out of the way of the third beam and it exploded against the mine wall. The monk was still alive, a wave of gentle green washing over her as he heard steps coming from behind him on the bridge. A sudden appearance of mist later on the other side of the broken bridge produced his charge who threw a bolt of fire at the warlock. He yelled in frustration as he tore his robes off, showing that his discolored skin stretched all the way downward… and he had a tentacle growing out of his elbow, wrapping around his hand.</p>
<p>"Beware those who trade their souls for power. They are marked for death," declared the warforged in a chant as he swung his warhammer downward at the mutated warlock, launching a bolt of light at the enemy.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Fools, I serve the Old Gods!" the wolf-folk warlock retorted as his chest got punctured by arrows, "Your tirade means nothing!" He then ducked under the flash of light that KDR sent at him.</p>
<p>"Your old fuddy-duddy gods hold no sway here," mocked Nene.</p>
<p>"Foolish and ignorant!" he declared as he motioned to them. "When will you learn that their power shall destroy you!"</p>
<p>"Will it kill you to shaddap!?" shouted Polka as she flew at him in a flying kick.</p>
<p>"Fools all!" he roared as he caught her right foot.</p>
<p>He tried tossing her back, but she twisted through the air and landed on her left foot. She then got into a handstand and sent her other foot into his face. After hearing the crack of his breaking nose, she pushed herself off the ground and kicked out with her left, sending it into his chest. Landing on her left, she spun around but before she could kick him again, he yelled out some unintelligible words and tentacles dark as ebony lashed out from all over him. They crashed into her and seemed to be spectral enough to go through her.</p>
<p>"POLKA!"</p>
<p>"Damn you all!" shouted the warlock as he vomited blood before he ran off deeper into the mines. Into the inky blackness.</p>
<p>Lamy hurried over and laid her hand on her friend, the other holding on to her amulet in prayer. As she healed up the fennec fox girl, the others gathered around her. On the other hand, Mel and KDR stepped near the strange barrier-like blackness.</p>
<p>"Is this what you could not get through?" he asked.</p>
<p>"Yes, this is the one," she replied as she lightly touched the barrier, a little surprised when the darkness just flowed through her fingers like smoke, "This feels like a Darkness spell..." Turning to the now-recovered monk, she asked, "Polka, can your globe light this up?"</p>
<p>"I can. Stand back," requested the monk as she stood up. As the rest shuffled behind her, she plucked the driftglobe out of the hover. Stretching out her hand holding it, she aimed it at the inky blackness and said, "Sh-"</p>
<p>Before she could say the full word, a piercing shout echoed through the mine and a loud crunch of sorts followed it. Stunned, she quickly shouted, "Shine!"</p>
<p>The globe emitted a dazzling brilliance akin to a full sun shining down on them, burning away the darkness. What they revealed was horrifying. Two horrendous growths sprouted out from either side of the passage; short and stumpy with a few tentacles coming out of the body with beaked mouths, eight red orbs around the top, and a crown of tentacles wildly lashing around. An even worse sight was the thing that was busy eating the mutated warlock, his bottom half lying on the ground; a mass of writhing tentacles, numerous bony spikes along the ridge of its back, a massive mouth with protruding teeth, and many red orbs above said mouth which could probably pass for eyes. It made a swallowing sound, took one look at the party, and let out a horrifying lament as it undulated towards them.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The loud lamentations rang in her ears. Gripping her head, Nene squinted her eyes, trying to bear with her pounding head. When they reopened, she was surprised to find herself standing nearer to Polka.</p>
<p>"<em>Wait, when did I move</em>?" she wondered inwardly when she caught sight of the abomination looming over them, "<em>I think I really don't want to be here</em>..." She also almost gagged when a stump of tentacles suddenly burst from the ground.</p>
<p>"Die," proclaimed KDR as he went in, brushing aside the tentacles that suddenly popped out of the ground and lashed out at him with his shield. His warhammer flared up and seared the aberrant flesh, setting it on fire amidst its screeching and wailing.</p>
<p>As she pulled her lute into position, she saw the healing green glow of Lamy's prayers wash over her. It gave her comfort. That and KDR's headstrong bravery gave her confidence that they could survive this. Plucking a high note, she breathed in and hit that note, her voice going high. A second later, a loud boom exploded behind the aberration followed by its loud roar. However, she felt a sense of dread in the pit of her stomach as the eyes swiveled over to her. She screamed as it arched back and slammed its tentacles into her body. And as she was seemingly lifted off her feet, it clamped its massive jaw on her body. She could feel her body being sawn and jabbed by many teeth before falling onto the ground. Her whole body felt extremely painful and felt like her insides were churned around like butter. However, she couldn't do anything as the tentacle stump whipped down on her chest as she tried rolling to the side a bit too slow, causing her to cough up blood.</p>
<p>"<em>Am I</em>..." she started in her mind when the comforting green glow washed over her again, "<em>No, not just yet! I have to get up</em>!"</p>
<p>As she got to her feet, she could hear the faint voices of her friends cheering her on. To her side, she noticed her lute, now with a torn strap. She reached for Anya and pulled it from her belt. Turning to face the grotesque shambler, she slashed a stray tentacle that was growing from its underside, cutting it off. It roared and returned its attention back to her. She noticed that there were many arrows sticking out of its right side, one even sticking out of its many eyes. She couldn't do anything as it lashed out with its tentacles. Her stomach felt like it was being taken apart. As she collapsed forward, she could feel the cold ground becoming more intimate with her. Her vision began to blur and she could feel the beat of her heart through her veins. She then felt something heavy on her back and neck.</p>
<p>Her vision became black.</p>
<p>And she found herself on top of the flat stone surrounded by the sea once more. One question reigned supreme in her mind.</p>
<p>"Where in the world am I!?"</p>
<p>
  <strong>AN: Hello again, readers. Time for a big one.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>It didn't take too long for them to bump into the cultists. They have been up to no good. Not to mention the warlock a few chapters ago showed up again, this time partially mutated for his worship. KDR also got featured a little more, using branding smite to help cut down the number of cultists to a more manageable level. Now, something that wasn't shown here was that while they were handling the surviving cultists, was that Mel actually successfully cast Polymorph on the warlock and that's why he didn't seem to do or say anything during KDR's part in the chapter. Anyway, after handling the cultists, the warlock ran deeper into the mines. Past a magical Darkness. Taking a moment to heal up, they investigated the darkness and came face to face with an eldritch horror. And... as you can see... at the end of the chapter... if it wasn't so clear... it killed Nene.</strong>
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<p>
  <strong>Now, death at higher levels is not as permanent as normally expected. There are many ways to bring people back to life. Lamy could have done that when she was level 5. So, if you're feeling despair, don't. She's still around. As long as Lamy has diamonds, she can bring her back.</strong>
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<p>
  <strong>Now, these cultists as well as many others in this chapter are from a Darkest Dungeon homebrew my friend found written by someone called DM Tuz. The moment I read it, I absolutely fell in love with it. So, cultist gladiators and enchanters, gnashers, slavering ghouls, and the miniboss at the end of the chapter, the grotesque shambler. As for the warlock that showed up again for this chapter, the dagger attack was replaced with a piercing tentacle attack that caused additional bleeding damage (additional necrotic damage against enemies with flowing blood).</strong>
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<p>
  <strong>Next chapter, the party do all they can to kill off the shambler and save Nene. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.</strong>
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